Judge, 1920-09-25 · page 9 of 34
Judge — September 25, 1920 — page 9: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "Sordid Duties" - Political Satire Analysis This poem by Walt Mason, illustrated by Ralph Barton, satirizes the tension between political ambition and domestic obligation during the 1920 election cycle. The unnamed narrator wants to campaign for Warren Harding (and against James Cox, the Democratic candidate) but is repeatedly prevented by his wife Jane, who insists he attend to practical household tasks—fixing their automobile ("tin lizzie"), painting pumps, hoeing vegetables. The satire targets male voters' grandiose political aspirations versus their actual, mundane responsibilities. The "Living Wonder" Jane represents practical domestic management that keeps the family solvent, while the husband dreams of making speeches and political impact. The cartoon's caption—"Jane is always guarding the pathway to the gate"—suggests she controls access to any larger ambitions. The joke: American men fantasize about political engagement while their wives maintain financial stability through unglamorous household work.
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Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Sordid “Bur JANE 15 ALWAYS GUARDING THE PATHWAY TO THE GATE.” Duties By Watt Mason Mlustration by ‘D like to root for Harding, I'd like to take the stump; but Jane says things regarding the painting of the pum It seems that I've neglected that task a long, long while; and Jane is much dejected, and she has ceased to smile. She says I’m always fooling when other people work; ways vainly drooling; I am the village shirk arn for high endeavor, great errands to pursue, but thus it is forever—there’s something punk to do. I'd like to teach the voter to shun the gods of clay; but my tin lizzie’s motor is working bad today; and Jane would like to visit some friends of hers in town; so, ’neath that tin what-is-it, I humbly buckle down. Amid the grease and stenches I lie me down and curse, and toil with monkey wrenches, and only make things worse. And while my tired hand reaches for spring and pin and bolt, I might be making speeches, and giving Cox a jolt. I might, where crowds assemble, be throwing words abroad, might make the welkin tremble, and hear the folks applaud. But I must clean the pistons of our old henry car, and so a teardrop glistens down where my whiskers are. I'd like to save this nation from ills that make us sad, and work out its salvation—it needs it pretty bad. I'd like to rouse the voters and show them what they need, and spur Raten Barto could sound long dead the burden toters to brave and drastic deed. Oh, I a slogan much greater than you've heard sin and Logan sent forth their ringing word. But Jane, she begs my parding, and says, “There's work Forget both Cox and Harding, and all the windy crew. The weeds will take tne pumpkins, the crop of beets will fail while you converse with bumpkins around the county jai Sometimes I’m sore as thunder, yet in my heart I know that she’s the Living Wonder who makes our business go. We have some hard-earned dollars in safety put away, and I have Sunday collars, and my old henry shay; if sickness or reverses should come and lay me flat, there’s money where the purse is—my Jane has managed that. If I were free to holler throughout the long cam, there wouldn’t be a dollar when comes the day of rain. I'd like to whoop for Harding, and talk affairs of state, but Jane is always guarding the pathway and when she sees me going she chants the same ¢ You should get busy hocing the taters and the prune: I fecl my anger sizzling as I go forth to plow until the sweat is drizzling from my large, bulging brow. But when, “neath elm tree shady, I lean against the fence, I feel that Jane’s the lady who has the good horse sense. to do! ign,