Judge, 1919-05-03 · page 6 of 36
Judge — May 3, 1919 — page 6: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of This Judge Magazine Page **Top Cartoon:** A silhouette showing figures running toward a building labeled "Wholesale Liquor," with a city skyline behind. This satirizes Prohibition-era bootlegging and illegal alcohol distribution—people rushing to acquire liquor during the ban. **Main Article:** "Revised Weights and Measures" argues against adopting the metric system. The author proposes keeping traditional English measurements (pounds, feet, yards, etc.) while updating their definitions humorously—for instance, redefining a "league" as a Peace Conference topic. This mocks both metric system advocates and post-WWI peace negotiations. **Bottom Cartoon:** Two men discuss Shakespeare while surrounded by periscopes and anti-booze flotillas, satirizing intellectuals discussing literature amid Prohibition's enforcement apparatus. The page overall lampoons 1920s American concerns: Prohibition enforcement, metric system debates, and idealistic post-war politics.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
TIWHOLESACE: + OB7 Ly Drawn by Senor. FP. Mittra, U. SM. C. “An, Make tue Most or Wuat We Revised Weights and Measures By E. Acocat Avrre Cy ition vanishing of war news from the press has revived many ancient discussions, which ap- parently have only been sleeping during the dif- ference of opinion in Europe. From various quarters we again are urged to adopt the metric system. Chief popular objection to the m. s. appears to be that it does not run in the old rut. Then, too, the public does not know what the metric sys- tem means; a poll of 200 people passing the corner of Squinge and Grunt Streets disclosed that they much prefer the one-step, though several expressed earnest belief that the League of Nations should come first. Possibly the trouble is in the name: metric system is too suggestive of meters, a subject of irritation with users of gas or electricity. What really is needed is to take the old-fashioned system of weights and measures used by Old John, Young John and Grandad, and bring it to date along sensible and strictly modern lines. For instance: Drawn by C.J. Tatum Tue Barv or Avon Stitt Sixcs! Host—The not a good thing you can think about but you will find in Shakespeare. Yet May Srenp”—Omar Khayyam pound—11 ounces butter. ton—1875 pounds coal. square foot—policeman’s. 10 cents—1 copy Judge. 1 quart—1 hangove: 1 league—(now under debate at Peace Conference). 2 feet—very attractive, if supporting neat ankles. 1 yard—length of hands in dress suit. 1 scruple—nothing to a profiteer. 1 hour—3 years when waiting in doctor’s office. $1—12 cents plus tax money. 1 military pace—some job, on a hike. 1 cord—to cords if wood has to be split. 1 gallon—4 quarts plus expressage. Cured “T hear tell that old Rip Ricketts is getting better of his rheumatiz after so long a time,” said a neighbor. ; * returned Gap Johnson, of Rumpus Ridge, Ark y killed him for twenty years, or such a matter, but he says that whisky is so infernally hard to get now he reckons he'd jist as soon be well as sick.” . A Game of Patience By Bexyasus De Cassenes HOSE two immortals, Mars and John Barleycorn, sat down on the forty-fifth degree of longi- tude to compare notes over a glass of beer. Mars had a copy of the consti- tution of the League of Nations tucked under his arm and John Bar- leycorn had a copy of the Eight- centh Amendment protruding from his pocket. As far as the eye could see they were surrounded by periscopes from the peace and anti-booze flotilla of submarines. Above them hovered—by the thousands—the battle planes of the New Idealism. And these two immortals sat there complacently chatting and drinking their beer, waiting for the day when human nature would again master mere sanity.