Judge — October 18, 1919 — page 22: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page uses disease metaphors to satirize labor strikes as infectious illness afflicting society. The title panel positions strikes as a pathogenic threat to the social "body." The cartoons reference specific strike incidents: Cleveland's labor unrest (comparing a striker to Nero), and what appears to be unrest in Los Angeles and other locations. One panel shows a character saying he's "not satisfied with living conditions here in Valley Forge and I strike"—mocking strikers by comparing their complaints to Revolutionary War-era hardship. The bottom right image shows a war memorial captioned "Carrying On," suggesting strikers betray soldiers' sacrifice. The overall message: strikes are selfish, diseased social disruptions endangering the nation. This reflects early 20th-century anti-labor sentiment common in mainstream publications, treating worker activism as pathological rather than legitimate grievance.