Judge, 1912-12-14 · page 13 of 26
Judge — December 14, 1912 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes excessive Christmas consumerism. The top cartoons humorously contrast modern children's toy abundance with their grandparents' simpler gifts (dolls, whips, balls), implying gift-giving has become wasteful. The main article features Colonel Beanfugle lamenting that Christmas shopping violates principles of "economy and conservation"—likely referencing early 20th-century reform movements. His complaint: people give unwanted gifts (like a purple Japanese jardiniere with dragons) that create artificial desires, boosting commercial interests rather than serving genuine needs. Beanfugle advocates legislation to "protect the fool Christmas shopper against his own folly," viewing holiday buying as economically irrational despite acknowledging its inevitability. The small "Not Up to Standard" joke satirizes a pastor scolding his grocer about milk quality—a minor aside about standards and expectations. Overall, the piece critiques holiday commercialism as wasteful and contrary to conservation principles, positioning gift-giving as manufactured desire rather than genuine kindness.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
It certainly is mighty queer How Santy gets in every year With such an awful lot of toys For modern little girls and boys, When grandma used to get a doll, And grandpa just « whip and bali, Though Santy then had heaps of space In their old-fashioned chimney-place-—a, z. A CHRISTMAS PROBLEM. Colonel Beanfugle onKris Kringling. By ARTHUR CHAPMAN. thing positively inspiring about the idea of giving somebody else something he never dreamed of want- ing. People go through the world not wanting lots of 66 RITE me down as one who loves his fellow-man, but not to such an extent that I am willing to mortgage my farm and sell my auto for the privilege of buying holiday presents for the aforesaid f. m.,'’ said Colonel Beanfugle, over the rampart of his newspaper. “There is a slight hollowness to such a sentiment, caused by the melancholy fact that you have neither farm nor auto,”’ observed Mrs. Bean- fugle; ‘‘but I am always willing to run the risk of dropping an occasional knitting stitch to follow your argu- ment. What are the details of this Yuletide grouch?"”” “Oh, it’s all so unscientific and opposed to the basic principles of economy and conservation and all that sortof thing. There’s a great chance for legislation, which I have no doubt things they should want. The Christmas giver jauntily lifts such people out of the rut they are traveling in. I have never wanted a purple Japanese jardiniere, with a scaly dragon holding it in a loving embrace; but I have no doubt, if you gave me such a thing, I should go on wanting purple jardinieres, with dragon decorations, all the rest of my life. Which would make business good for all the men and women whose business it is to make purple jardinieres and scaly dragons, “‘What I would endeavor to cor- rect,’’ continued Colonel Beanfugle, warming to his subject, ‘‘would be will be put into effect when we have the ideal State—legislation to pro- tect the fool Christmas shopper against his own folly. I would not have holiday buying eliminated—not for all the world! There is some- NOT UP TO STANDARD. Rev. Thirdly—'' Now, er—regarding the milk you deliver at my house."’ Grocer—"" Yes, siz.” Rev. Thirdly—* 1—er—merely wish to remind you of the fact that I use it for drinking, not for christening !"" this football rush at the last moment. I am convinced that it is hopeless to try to bring about this reform through education. I know many editorial writers who have developed severe cases of brain fag calling upon comicbooks.com