Judge, 1908-07-18 · page 11 of 14
Judge — July 18, 1908 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **Budweiser beer advertisement** disguised as a Judge magazine editorial tribute to James Madison, the fourth U.S. President. The left side presents a biographical sketch of Madison as "Father of the Constitution," emphasizing his role in establishing American liberty and property rights. The key satirical point appears in the anecdote: while sick in bed, Madison demands his doctor keep "passing the bottle" at dinner—a humorous claim that even the nation's most serious statesman prioritized beer. This setup allows the right-hand column to pivot to the actual advertisement: Budweiser beer is positioned as "the drink of your forefathers" and "the noblest men that ever lived"—literally associating the product with America's founding fathers and constitutional ideals. The tactic exploits nationalist pride and historical reverence to sell beer. By 1910s-era standards, this blending of patriotic editorial with commercial pitch was acceptable advertising practice, though transparent to modern readers as propaganda.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
James Madison (4th President, U.S. AD N George Washington, the American Revolution had its conquering gen- eral; in John Adams its intrepid organizer; in Jefferson its bold philosopher; and in Madison its constructive statesman. He it was who caused to be deeply im- bedded in our highest law those vital and fundamental guarantees of life, property and Personal Liberty. In private life he was extremely social— yet truly temperate—drinking good malt beer and wine in strict moderation. Once, when sick in bed, he caused his couch to be wheeled near the dining-room door, that he might cail to his acting representative at the festive board: ‘*Doctor, are you passing the bottle? Do your duty, doctor, or | must cashier you!’’ Justly named ‘*The Father of the Con- stitution,” he died at eighty-five. When shall his name be forgotton? Keferences: Biography by Sydney Howard Gay. Appleton & Harper's Enc The Federalist Essays, Hunt's Biography, pp. 376, 381, 342, ete. Budweiser |T |HE drink that delights your palate and aids the digestion of your food. Drink the drink of your forefathers; the drink of the noblest men that ever lived; the drink of the great tri- umphant nations; the pure, nourishing and refreshing juices of American barley fields; the home drink of all civilized nations. THE KING OF ALL BOTTLED BEERS Bottled Only at the ANHEUSER-BUSCH BREWERY St. Louis, Mo. Corked or with Crown Caps For Sale at All Hotels, Clubs and Bars comicbooks.com