Judge — June 26, 1926 — page 14: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This Judge magazine cartoon compares America in 1976 (bicentennial year, shown in upper circle) with America in 1926. The upper figure depicts a revolutionary patriot wielding a torch—representing American independence and progress. The lower 1926 figure sits dejected in a prison cell, surrounded by chains labeled "Prohibition," "Censorship," and "Blue Laws." The caption "Musta Been a Coupla Other Fellahs" suggests bitter irony: the freedoms fought for in 1776 have been lost fifty years later through restrictive legislation. This satirizes 1920s social restrictions, particularly Prohibition (1920-1933), censorship efforts, and "Blue Laws" restricting behavior. The cartoon critiques how America has abandoned its founding principles of liberty through government overreach and moral legislation.