Judge — April 27, 1918 — page 2: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Political Satire on Postal Rate Increases This Judge magazine page attacks a proposal to increase magazine postage rates. The caricatured figure (identified in the text as Governor of New Jersey, likely Edward Stokes) argues for the rate hike using economic reasoning about reduced circulation costs. The satire's point: such "sober second thought" won't prevent this "blunder." The text sarcastically documents how the measure would devastate magazine publishers and readers, particularly those in remote areas who'd face prohibitive costs. The article compares it unfavorably to British policies and notes Canada's more reasonable rates. The cartoon's target is false rationalization—presenting a destructive policy as economically logical when it actually serves special interests while harming democratic access to information during wartime.