Judge, 1920-03-27 · page 5 of 36
Judge — March 27, 1920 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis This satirical piece by Perriton Maxwell proposes a "Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution" titled "Down, Fido! Down!" It mocks what the author sees as excessive American freedom of speech and press. The cartoon depicts a man commanding a dog labeled with various vulgar slang terms (depicted as a list in the text). The satire argues that Americans have too much liberty—particularly regarding "booze-haters" and their prohibition activism. Maxwell suggests that certain offensive words should be eliminated from common vocabulary to maintain national decorum. The piece is fundamentally conservative satire opposing Prohibition's advocates and criticizing censorship of language. The dog imagery positions uncontrolled speech and vulgarity as something that needs disciplining, reflecting anxieties about social propriety during the Prohibition era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Drain by Noauay Axtwosy Susure’s New System Gives Hin Fiereen Minutes Mort Fido! ‘*“Down, Steep Down!’’ A Proposed Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution By Perriton Maxwene HE American people enjoy too much liberty Our laws are pathetically lax in the matter of suppressing individual! initiative and speech. Prohibition was a step in the right direction, but prohibition of alcoholic beverages is a mere pin-prick upon the national neck. What we really need is the prohibition of our prerogatives. To prove to Bosnia, Senegambia and the rest of the world our absolute sincerity as a united nation of booze-haters, we should begin at once and agitate against our common vocabulary, deleting from it all dangerous words: dangerous because they sug to the young and pure of he the frightfulness of a bygone tippling era. Drinking to each other only with our eyes should be augmented by talking to cach her only with strict’ reserva- tions of thirst-provoking words Jupce is compiling a handy, extra-“ Dry Dictionary” and sub- joined are a few of the words which shall henceforth be obso- lete in our too-picturesque tongue and taboo in polite society: Stew - Stunt - Jincrep - Wnuoozy - Picktep - Pre- eyeD - Hancover - Porrep - PLasterep - Souse - Bun ‘Tank - Osstriep - Pieri caTeD - Groccy - Guzz.e - Draven by Dos Hemoun Witt Ir Come s Loap - Strety - Scttooner - Muc - Can - Foam - Rapptep - Muzzy - Giurp - snp - Opruscaten. Lack of space prohibits (lovely term that!) a more extended list of words which, referring to things quite extrancous to the state of intoxication, nevertheless and notwithstanding, must be now and forevermore t into the social discard because of their menacing im- plication. We must find a substitute for that dainty viand called “stew” because it connotes inebriety; we can well afford to dispense with “still,” employing other verbs to describe the state of quietude, because “still” is irrev- ocably associated both with the cause and effect of spifflication, The toothsome “bun” must be identified in some other manner because of its association with the bestiality of the pie-eyed. “Pickled,” “Potted” and “Canned,” with their aroma and tang of the delicatessen shop, must go the way of all libertine words with a double and sinister meaning. Let our brainy statesmen in Washington cease their quibbling ver the League of Nations. That trifling matter can be abled for this greater, more nationally-vital reformation of our rum-soaked speech. Down fase) To Tus? comicbooks.com