Judge — June 7, 1919 — page 8: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Big Bill Legislation and the Bantam Citizen" - Political Cartoon Analysis This 1920 Judge magazine page uses a boxing match metaphor to satirize legislation's impact on ordinary citizens. The small figure labeled "Bantam Citizen" fights progressively larger opponents representing various taxes and expenses: the 1918 war handshake, cost-of-living increases, overhead expenses, railroad/telephone/telegraph costs, national income tax, state income tax, prohibition enforcement, and finally—by Round Eight—appears knocked out. The cartoon's point: post-WWI legislation and taxation policies systematically devastated the average working person, with each "round" representing a different financial burden. The citizen grows progressively battered while opponents (personified legislation) appear fresh and aggressive, illustrating citizens' powerlessness against accumulating government burdens. The overall effect criticizes the government's legislative overreach affecting everyday Americans.