Judge, 1930-07-05 · page 11 of 40
Judge — July 5, 1930 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "Balloons, Bombs and Boloney" Explained This 1920s-era satire mocks excessive government regulation stifling Fourth of July celebrations. Elderly founding fathers gather in Independence Hall to commemorate the Declaration, but modern bureaucratic restrictions prevent any festivities. The joke: delegates cite absurd laws—firecrackers over three inches are illegal, paper bags can't be popped without state ratification, balloons upset Cuba, and flags risk diplomatic incidents. The cartoon suggests government red tape has made celebrating American independence itself impossible. Key references include Button Gwinnett (actual Declaration signer), the Curtis Publishing Company (publisher of Saturday Evening Post), and contemporary anxieties about governmental overreach and foreign relations (Cuba). The beach illustration shows crowded, chaotic leisure—contrasting regulated chaos with uncontrolled freedom. The satire targets progressive-era regulation that Judge's conservative readership viewed as excessive and anti-American.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Balloons, Bombs and Boloney By Jack Cluett Frere solemn, elderly gentlemen, whistling “Yanke Doodle,” sat around a mahogany table in Indepen dence Hall. The of the conf with appropriate signs reading j Off the Grass,” “Trespassing Forbidden,” “No Peddlers” and “One-Way Street.” In the center of the table lay « couple of firecrackers and an autograph of Button Gwin- nett. At length the Speaker rose to his feet and said: “It is time to celebrate the Fourth of July. One hun- dred and fifty-four y y John Hancock put his John Hancock on the tion of Independence and, today, it is the John Hancock Life Insurance Com- pany of Hancock, Mass.” The delegate from Rhode Island arose and said: “There is law against celebrating the De tion of Independence with a firecracker over three inches long, and you mustn't catch trout in Essex County before April 15.” “All right,” said the Speaker, “I'll blow up a paper bag and pop it with my fist.’ The delegate from Connecticut said: “That's in direct vio on of the Constitution, Article 1 ion 9, which reads: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that no paper bags shall be exploded on tl irth of July unless they are ratified by the thirteen original states.’ ” “I think the safest way to celebrate this mon occasion is to go into a dark closet and say ‘Boom ! the delegate from New York. “Just think,” said the Speaker, “154 Benjamin Franklin signed the Deel: dence and then went across the stre Curtis Publishing Company.” “Well, c’mon—let’s celebrate,” said the delegate from rs ago today n of Indepen- and founded the The head usher is given charge of the public beach. 9 JUDGE “Lissen, buddy. Rhode Island. “Can't we send up a balloon or wave some flags?” The Speaker replied: “If we send up a balloon without t Havana, the Cubans will be sore as hell, - a flag the people will think we're going t down the road.” having it stop and if we w to set off at “This is a pretty lousy Fourth of July, if you ask me,” mumbled the delegate from New York. Roman candle burst up my sleeve, but this year things are dull.” (Continued on page 29) Will ya slip me fifteen cents—I buy a bor 0” sparklers?” t year a comicbooks.com