Judge, 1904-10-29 · page 9 of 20
Judge — October 29, 1904 — page 9: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**"The Currency Question"** mocks Democratic indecision on the "free silver" issue—a major 1890s political debate. An English visitor asks a ship captain whether Democrats have abandoned their support for unlimited silver coinage. The captain's witty response suggests Democrats will drop the issue only where they need to prevent losses on election betting among illegal voters they've "colonized." The joke is that Democrats are so unprincipled they'll shift positions based on electoral advantage, treating policy like a gambling proposition rather than conviction. **"The Fable of the Deliberate Elephant"** contrasts the elephant's measured, purposeful approach with the donkey's reckless speed—clearly allegory for political temperament. The elephant's superior wisdom appears to critique hasty action, likely referencing contemporary debates about deliberative governance versus populist impulses. The cartoons collectively satirize Democratic Party inconsistency and poor judgment during the contentious Currency/Free Silver debates of the 1890s.
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Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE CURRENCY QUESTION. AN ENGLISHMAN cross- ed over on a recent voyage of the Old Salt's ship. The day before they landed he inquired of the captain, “This is what you call a presidential year in the states, isn’t it?” The captain said it was. “Have the Democrats dropped free silver yet?” the passenger inquired. “ Not yit,” the captain said. “They'll begin to drop that, and pretty freely, where they've got illegal voters colonized, about elec- tion mornin’. “Oh,” said the English- isn't. what I I mean, have they dropped it as an issue?” “It'll be issued there an’ then, all right,” remark- ed the captain, The Englishman, look- ing very solemn and appar- ently very deeply thinking, became silent. The next day (late), after they had tied to their dock in Boston and the Englishman was going down the plank, he suddenly stopped and, pausing on the inclined gangway, laughed uproariously. “Haw, haw, haw !" said the Englishman. What ye laughin’ at 2" inquired the captain from the deck. “Oh,” said the Englishman, «I see what you were driving at yes- terday, You meant that the Democrats might lose money on election- bets, didn't you? Really, you know, now, that was very good—very good indeed! Haw, haw, haw!" And he went ashore, intent upon the careful and intelligent study of our manners and our institutions. man, “that mean. “Nope. been in fer the last eight year.” SSSA: CORRECT. “What d’ye allow ‘s the most doubtful state into the hull unlon—Indiany ?”* T reckon the most doubtful state ‘s the state o' mind them Democrats hez ESOPUS FABLES, THE FABLE OF THE DELI. ERATE ELEPHANT. N ELEPHANT, pro- ceeding deliberately un- der the guidance of his ma- hout, was approached by a donkey, who said, “You are a slow old thing. You move like a fat lap-dog climbing a hil Without pausing the elephant replied, while a look of deep disgust wrin- Kled his trunk. “That,” he said, “is purely a matter of personal opinion. I make sure that I am right before I start, and then there is no need to hurry. While I am_pro- ceeding I waste no time in looking for guide-posts or rural citizens from whom L may ascertain the latitude and longitude. I know where Tam going and why I am going. What more do you want?" Speed,” said the don- key ; “speed !" making a careless leap that landed him in a mud-hole. “Well,” said the elephant, * that, too, is purely a matter of per- sonal opinion. Your wild antics advance you little ; your swiftness as often as not lands you in the mud. Let us part and pursue each the path that seems the best, and after the November snows we will com- pare notes.” Whereupon he departed, winking at his mahout as he observed the donkey making swift leaps toward a quicksand. Moral—Definite purpose and deliberate action bring results. THE endeseat hog retires from vi Another porcine friend has come—the pigskin now we greet. v with summer days so fleet. THEN AND NOW. “He used to be quite a dude before he married her." “Him! ‘Yes: and now he seems to be pretty well subdued.”