Judge, 1925-02-28 · page 8 of 36
Judge — February 28, 1925 — page 8: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis This Judge page satirizes income tax compliance through three cartoons: **Top panels**: Contrast two men filing taxes—one who "favored himself a wee bit" (cheated slightly) appearing relaxed among onlookers, versus one "absolutely scrupulous" who looks anxious and guilty. The joke mocks how dishonest filers often seem unbothered while honest ones stress over scrutiny. **Bottom panel**: A domestic scene where a man pours cold water on a woman's back, claiming legal justification ("Statchoo or no statchoo"—statute or not). This satirizes how people invoke technical legal arguments to justify ethically questionable behavior—similar to tax cheating rationalization. **Overall message**: The satire suggests that Americans rationalize cutting corners on taxes and other obligations through legalistic technicalities, while honest compliance paradoxically invites suspicion and anxiety. It critiques both tax evasion and the anxious consciences of the scrupulous.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Feelings of the man who favored himself a wee —and of the one who was absolutely scrupulous bit in making out his income tax return. about it. NS UR \ Atak GSS KS SERNA FIN > A Z 3 UJ N x ~ SEN S N \ ea b “ ~ = <—— = ~ =? “Statchoo or no statchoo, my Gawd! Cold water right in the middle of her back!” 6 comicbooks.com