Judge — July 18, 1908 — page 3: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "A Square Deal and a Square Meal" This page satirizes President Theodore Roosevelt's "Square Deal" domestic policy platform. The top article mocks Washington state's requirement that postage stamps be made from sweet potato gum—a bizarre regulation the author argues contradicts Roosevelt's principles about sensible food standards. The cartoon "How He Worked It" depicts two men discussing how to "catch eating in a lunch-wagon"—likely satirizing Roosevelt's trust-busting regulatory efforts and their unintended consequences for ordinary commerce. The bottom illustration appears to show a boating accident, captioned with dialogue about growing up to "be a man," possibly referencing Roosevelt's celebrated persona as a rugged outdoorsman. Overall, the page uses absurdist humor to critique Progressive Era regulations as overreaching and impractical.