Judge — September 21, 1901 — page 3: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The No-Matter Club" by Harold Bolce This satirical piece mocks a fictional philosophical club debating metaphysical concepts while ignoring practical realities. The story centers on Abigail Hope, a deceased member whose estate is in dispute. The satire targets members who espouse high-minded doctrines about reincarnation and "Higher Metaphysics" while simultaneously scheming over her inheritance. When the club proposes using occult methods to contact Abigail's spirit to resolve the will dispute, the treasurer cynically demands practical terms: "one hundred dollars each to a mere brother or sister, not of the faith." The cartoon illustrates the club's grandiose séance-style gathering. The humor exposes the gap between idealistic spiritual philosophy and base material self-interest—a common Progressive-era critique of both wealthy elites and fraudulent spiritualism movements.