Judge, 1928-04-21 · page 13 of 36
Judge — April 21, 1928 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Political Satire Analysis: "Spirit of Pol Roger Lands at Capitol" This 1928 Judge magazine piece satirizes Congress through a humorous fictional account of an aviation stunt. The narrator and companion "Mac" undertake a transatlantic flight (evoking Lindbergh's famous 1927 crossing) and are offered $50,000 to transport both houses of Congress on a non-stop flight. The satire targets politicians' frivolousness and corruption: Congress members are portrayed as eager to abandon their duties, and the joke about carrying "ivory without a shipping license" references the contemporary perception of congressmen as morally compromised. The piece mocks President Coolidge's stoicism, Vice President Dawes's showiness, and concludes with "Mac" creating embarrassment by asking about getting "oiled up" (drunk) near the White House—a jab at Prohibition-era hypocrisy. The final reference to voting for "Al Smith" (Democratic presidential candidate) adds partisan commentary.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
| | { | } —— ° rr | JUDGE us SPIRIT OF POL ROGER LANDS AT CAPITOL! President Breaks Silence in Honor of Judge Jr.! Wastuxetox, D.C. April : ely upon leaving Phil: we headed straight for ashington, as we had received a pram some time ore from Colonel Lindbergh, (the one who flew across the Atlantic and land ed at Le Bourget, caused quite a sensation) saying that he was tired of taking Con sssmen up and would we carry on for him. We had both been loath to go, in fact Mac was loather than [ was, but another radiogram from a party who we cannot very well mention decided us. It read ‘Offer you fifty thou sand dollars if you will take both houses of Congress up in one ship load and attempt a non stop flight across the Atlantic’ “That would be a cinch! cried Mac, “We'd have the wind with us all the way!” “No,” I replied, with a merry twinkle in my eye, “We would be arrested for carrying a load of ivory without a shipping license!" “Ah! said) Mac, his eye also twinkling merrily, (Mac is the champion eye twinkler of t5th Street) and looking signifi- cantly at me, “Then we are liable to arrest at any moment now!” France and “Enough of this badinage! cried, “Let us on to Washington at tenny rate and let fate decide!” After traveling twenty sangs the air suddenly | bee very hot a exclaimed, not without “Whew! We must sove Washington now “We pulled that wheeze many moons ago!” I chided him, but IT looked down and sure cnough there was the Washington monu- ment and there beside it Calvin Coolidge waving a hand- para- ne stood kerchief and. straining his eyes toward us! As we got nearer we saw Senator Heflin running around excitedly and yelling “I'll het that’s the Pope!” but he soon h hats and seemed very much relieved. The President welcomed us effusively and we were escorted down Pennsylvania avenue amid Mac and perceived our hi huge cheering crowds. 1 were seated on the back of the tonneau seat and he whispered to me as he dofted his hat right and left. “Do you think I look like Jimmy Walke The President and I laughed so hard that we both fell over backward and_ if it hadn’t been for the ret Ser- viee men who caught us it prob ably would have resulted seri- ously, After visiting the Senate and the House of Representa- tives, we repaired to the White House where we had tea and erul- lers and Mr. Coolidge regaled us with stories of Washington. Vice President Dawes dropped in for w minutes and did a few card tricks which were really very clever, and after that Senator Borah came in and sang “Big Horse, I love you.” Then Mr. Hoover and sc of the other boys came in and we were having a high old time when Mae spoiled it all by asking if they were all going to vote for Al Smith! But that wasn't all! Just as ving he yells out loud enough to be heard down at the New Willard, “Say, where’s a good place to get oiled up around here?” You can imagine my mortification ! we were le <a oe WE CANT aw Cen? comicbooks.com