Judge, 1924-08-16 · page 12 of 36
Judge — August 16, 1924 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Political Satire Analysis: Judge Magazine Page This page contains three distinct satirical pieces: **Top cartoon:** Mocks domestic violence within the KKK by suggesting marital conflict becomes "picturesque" when both spouses belong to Klan-affiliated organizations (the "Klamelia" being the women's auxiliary). This reflects 1920s criticism of the Klan's mainstream social presence. **"An Act of Mercy":** A darkly humorous confessional about committing a "crime"—which is revealed to be merely removing the mouthpiece from someone's saxophone. The elaborate guilt and stealth mock overwrought emotional responses to minor household annoyances. **"Heard at the Cigar Stand":** Reproduces working-class dialect humor, with men discussing a colleague (Cliff Brown) and his witty remarks about women and the Bible. This reflects period attitudes toward colloquial speech as comedic material. **Bottom cartoon:** A domestic joke about vacation packing—the husband asks if they have everything; the wife replies affirmatively only if they have the baby, implying the baby is easily forgotten. The page reflects 1920s American magazine humor: KKK satire, slapstick domesticity, and ethnic/class-based dialect comedy.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“Well, it certainly makes a humdrum domestic row more picturesque and interesting if you belong to the Klan and your wife to the Klamelia.” An Act of Mercy! I apmit I may have been brutal, but there were more or less extenuating circumstances. When you take into consideration the fact that I hadn't closed an eye for three nights, that my nerves were completely shat- tered, you will readily under- stand how my anger toward him turned to blind, unreasoning hatred and—I finally committed the crime! I was crafty, though! Waiting until the wee hours of the morning when, ex- hausted, he dozed in his chair, I stealthily crept upon him. He never had a chance! Deliberately, though cau- tiously, I lifted the instru- ment from the table beside him. . . . In two seconds the act was done! As I made my escape through the back window, my mind was free as the air. And why shouldn’t it be? T had twisted-off the mouth- piece of his sarophone and Of course Americans trust in God. You can tell that by the way they drive. Heard at the Cigar Stand “°T o, Harry, ol’ podnah! Smoke “Thanks, Bill. Don’t caref ado. As Cliff Brown sez, ‘woman zonly a woman, but a good cigarza smoke.” . “Ha, ha! Cliff say that? He’s always pullin’ that kinda stuff.” “Yeh, Cliff's a rich card. Jevver hear wotty said wenny calld iz wife upta teller "bout th’ Boosters Club “Yeh, ‘e callzer upta teller th’ Boosters givi picnicen she asts wotties gona ta An’quick eza flash, Cliff tellzer, * a crusta breada jugga winen thou. “Ha, ha, ha! Quoten th’ Bible, eh Bible! ’, maybe allies stuff ain’t urig’nal then!” “I guess not. Ifies crabbin’ wise cracks outa th’ Bible, chances arie crabzem outa other books too.” “Heck. I thoughties stuff wuz urig’nal.” “So di. That's one on us. Ha, ha! Well, slong, podnah.” “Slong, ol’ timer. Be good.” R. B. Watsa taken every reed he owned! Epwarp H. Drescunack He (off for the vacation) —Have we everything, NOW? Sue—Yes—if you have the baby. comicbooks.com