Judge — June 20, 1925 — page 16: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This political cartoon depicts a figure standing atop turbulent waves labeled "LIQUOR PROBLEM," pouring oil from a container marked "RUN NOW BLOCKADE" while proclaiming "AUNTY EVERYTHING." The visual pun on the phrase "oil on troubled waters" (meaning to calm a situation) satirizes Prohibition-era policies. The cartoon criticizes the approach to solving America's liquor problem during Prohibition. The figure appears to represent either a politician or policy-maker whose "solution"—running a blockade—paradoxically worsens the crisis rather than calming it. The imagery suggests that enforcement efforts and blockades are adding fuel to the fire, creating more chaos rather than resolving the underlying social tensions around alcohol prohibition. The satirical point: the government's heavy-handed approach was counterproductive.