Judge — July 27, 1912 — page 3: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis The page shows a satirical cartoon titled "Judge" with the caption "EVERYBODY'S DOING IT." Below, dialogue between two characters named Martha and Maria discusses a horse developing a habit, with Maria suggesting the horse is "getting the habit, too." The cartoon depicts two figures on horseback riding energetically. The "habit" referenced appears to be a drug addiction, likely cocaine or opium use—which was a significant social concern in early 20th-century America. The satire suggests that substance abuse had become so widespread that even animals were supposedly succumbing to it, mocking both the epidemic's prevalence and society's casual acceptance of the problem. This reflects Judge magazine's typical approach of using exaggeration and dark humor to critique social vices.