Judge — September 15, 1928 — page 14: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This Judge magazine cartoon depicts a man in formal dress standing beside a tree marked "The Old Swimming Hole," gazing at a body of water labeled "Wet Issue." A figure is partially submerged in the water. The satire appears to reference a political controversy or scandal ("wet issue" likely alludes to Prohibition-era politics, a major debate of early 20th-century America). The man's nostalgic pose at "The Old Swimming Hole" contrasts with the murky "wet issue" below—suggesting how political problems have made once-innocent American traditions complicated or compromised. The exact figures remain unclear without additional context, but the cartoon uses the contrast between innocent nostalgia and political turmoil to satirize how contemporary issues contaminated American life.