Judge, 1912-01-13 · page 15 of 24
Judge — January 13, 1912 — page 15: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This satirical page mocks male politicians opposing women's voting rights. The left column quotes actual New York State legislators making absurd predictions: wives would nag husbands constantly about politics, homes would collapse, chivalry would die, and shirts would lose buttons if women voted. The central cartoon "A Fair Trial" depicts a woman at what appears to be a trial or debate, sarcastically titled to show the "fairness" of excluding women from voting. The right column contains "The Suffrage Meeting," a dialect-heavy monologue by a Black female speaker promoting voting rights. While advocating for suffrage, the passage uses exaggerated African American vernacular typical of period minstrelsy, likely reflecting Judge's satirical intent to mock both the cause and the speaker through stereotype. A portrait of suffragist Jessica G. Finch appears, identified as an actual advocate and educator. The bottom advertises Judge's prize contest asking "Why Should Women Vote?"—inviting readers to submit arguments, suggesting the magazine engaged with the contemporary suffrage debate.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
J HO MODS HA OMA I Solons and Suffrage. The statesman who will ad- vance theories in the face of contradicting facts must not be surprised if his utterances fail to convince and result in Kis being held up to ridicule. The following extracts, taken from recent speeches in the State capitol at Albany, prove, if nothing else, that their authors are not students of current events. An occasional perusal of the newspapers published in the six States where women vote would en- lighten th gentlemen con- siderably and perhaps cause them to modify their statements. Every man ‘would’? be met on his return home every evening by his wife in a towering rage over politics.—The Senator from Binghamton. The home ‘would’? come down around our heads in everlasting ruin.—The Same Senator. My great-grandmother ‘‘would’’ turn r in her grave to reproach me.— ‘or Grady ov Sen: Chi alry ‘would’ die right down dead in tracks, a heap of rusty helmets, bucklers, greaves, and stove-pipes.— Levy It ‘twould’’ take MM. Lepine and Bertillon to find in all the common- wealth a shirt h its full complement of buttons, if woman went out to vote once a year.—Cuvillier. The Suffrage Meeting. A PROBLEM PLAY. By SARA LYNCH. Mah downtrod sisters—I mus’ thank yo' fo’ yo’ applause. I's yere to explanation ‘bout de equal suffrage cause. Now, befo’ we starts dis meetin’, jes’ to show we’s in dis fight, Let yo’ loud voices out an’ try to crack dis roof to-night. ‘Hooray! Hooray! Hooray! We's in de fight! What’s de mattah with suffrage? It's all right!"’ Yo’ fine enthusyism is mos’ wort?y of mah note — It plain shows me, mah sisters, dat yo’s ready fo’ de vote. ( ‘of “We is!” and loud applause.) While I's not yere to try to cause no family fuss, A PAIR TRIAL. Course yo’ ole man an’ my ole man am all de same to us— Judge’s Prize Contest Why Should Women Vote ? Judge offers a first prize of $ | GOLD for the best ten reasons, and Five Yearly Subscriptions to Judge (Value $5 each.) for the five next best collections of ten reasona Conditions: . Contributions must not contain more than ‘300 words, . They must be received at this 530 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. . They should he directed to Judge Suffrage Editor, 225 Fifth Avenue, N. Y. The judges will be chosen from among the leaders of the Suffrage Party. fice before Dey’s men! We's agin de men! ... Ain't dat de trufe? (Applause lasting tweety minutes.) Mas, JESSICA G. FINCH. A. B.. LL. B. When Mrs. Finch is not eogaged in explaining from rost- rums and motor y women should vote she is attending to ber duties as proprietress and principal of a select sco! for gitls in New York City. She is president of the New York Equal Franchise Society, and is considered one of the most eloquent and convincing speakers in the suffrage ranks. We— (loterruptes by more applacse.) All right, mah sisters, go ahead at dat yere roof! ‘Hooray! Hooray! Hooray! We'’s in de fight! What’s de mattah with wom- en folkses? We's all right!"’ Mah po’r sisters, yo'll bes’ understan’ de cause an’ con- sequence, If I starts mah talk dis evenin’ far away back whar things commence. When dis ole worl’ wuz made, de bes’ stasticians now repo’t, Jes’ as free as air an’ sun- shine de Lord gave de right to vote. But Adam he come first, an’, with his greedy eye an’ claws, He grab dat right to vote an’ quick as wink he make some laws. Den Eve she come. An’ innocent, when ‘lection day come ‘bout, She get her coat an’ bonnet, makin’ ready to go out, A-turnin’ over in her haid what laws wuz fo’ de bes’. Den sly ole Adam make a cough, an’, foolin th his ves’, He sa: Mis’ Eve, I mos’ fo’got; but while yo’ wuz away, Some mos’ importan’ laws wuz passed. Yo’ cain’t go out to-day.”” ““What’s dat?’’ say Eve, quite sharp, an’ dar’s rebellion in her look. Den with a solemn face he opens up his own law book. ‘‘Now, we’s to mind all rules, Mis’ Eve, yo’ sees by dis yere clause; But dis yere udder one, Mis’ Eve, says I's to make de laws.”’ Mis’ Eve she cry, but what’s de use? Ole Adam beat her! Den She settle down an’ left us all to ‘bey de laws of men. Now, de Lord gave us dat right to vote, an’ by dese facks we know it! Arise, mah sisters! Wake de night! Jes’ claim yo’ right en’ go it! (Thirty-six minutes temeltoous applanse.). What’s dat, Mis’ Jacksing? Yo’ ask how de vote gwine do yo’ good? Oh, yo’ po’r an’ falterin’ sister! An’ I doan’ mean dat nothin’ rude— But doan’ dat vote do yo’ man some good? Jes’ answer dat, I say! En’ doan’ yo’ s'pose we'd make some laws to help us wimmen, hey? (Laughter and cheers? An’ now we'll close dis meetin’ like de fashion of de men’s— Three cheers an’ den de ‘‘Battle Hymn of de Republicans.” (Tree hearty cheers, and then all march around b. “There'll Be a Hot Tii the Olé Town Tosigh Meetisg closed comicbooks.com