Judge — June 14, 1919 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The Wets and The Drys" This June 1919 Judge cartoon satirizes the heated debate over Prohibition, which had just been ratified (18th Amendment, January 1919, taking effect in 1920). The cartoon depicts two groups in conflict: "wets" (those opposing alcohol bans, shown as fashionable women in the foreground) and "drys" (Prohibition supporters, shown as stern men in top hats in the background). The setting appears to be flooded or waterlogged, a visual pun on the "wet" versus "dry" terminology. The satire mocks both sides of this bitter cultural clash. The contrasting dress and demeanor suggest class and generational divides over whether to enforce national alcohol prohibition—one of the era's most contentious political issues.