Judge — October 10, 1903 — page 16: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This 1903 page contains two racist caricatures typical of the era's offensive stereotyping: **"Caught with the Goods"** depicts a white parson questioning a Black family (the Jacksons) about their children. The "joke" relies on a stereotype that the father is in legal trouble—the constable "takes after" him, implying arrest or criminality. It's a crude pun playing on racial prejudice. **"A Close Calculator"** features two Irish immigrants (Pat and Moike, identified by dialect) discussing whether two people can live as cheaply as one. The satire targets trusts and monopolies—rising prices from consolidated corporations mean even shared living costs have become prohibitively expensive. This reflects genuine 1903 economic anxiety about corporate consolidation, though the humor depends on ethnic stereotyping of Irish characters. Both cartoons use caricature and dialect to demean their subjects while delivering social commentary.