Judge, 1932-06-04 · page 9 of 36
Judge — June 4, 1932 — page 9: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "Dark Horses of 1932" Political Satire This page satirizes Governor Eric Baggers (likely a fictional stand-in for a Democratic politician during the 1932 election cycle). The text mocks his record since taking office in 1926, claiming he's actually *worsened* conditions: the public debt ballooned sevenfold, unemployment quintupled, and speakeasies increased tenfold—the opposite of promised prosperity. The satire's bite lies in its irony: Baggers claims to build prosperity "from the ground up" but actually works "underground" (a subway metaphor suggesting hidden corruption). His policy suggestions are absurd—paying war debts by importing goods free and refusing payment; giving soldiers bones instead of bonuses. The top cartoon shows an instructor with a wild horse labeled "Make him feel he's your master!"—mocking Baggers as an uncontrollable political force. Secondary items include a jab at Senator Huey Long's verbose speeches and a golf joke about deaf-and-dumb golfers. The page reflects 1932 Depression-era political anxiety about failed leadership.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
INSTRUCTOR---Ma lee Dark Hor OVERNOR Eric Baggers. Demo- at. Created a sensation at the recent Jefferson Day dinner by peel- ing his olives. Up to that time he had not been seriously considered as a contender for the nomination by anybody, not even himself. Upon his election as ch ive of his State, in 1926, Gov. Bag- S$ promised the voters that he would surpass all records of his pre- decessors in office and at the turn of the current r it seems that he is well on his way to fulfilling his promises. The public debt is seven times as large as it was in 1926; there is a gratifying deficit in the treasury, where in 1926, a deficit had never been thought of; unem- ployment figures e exactly five times those of six years ago and the number of speakeasies has increased from 1,764 in 1926, to 17,640 in 1932. Where other candidates advocate building a greater prosperity from the ground up, Gov. Baggers believes in starting underground to achieve the same result. His subway pro- ram for this country an example of his ideas. He is against Prohibi- tion and favors the return of the old- fashioned speakea: Regarding the war debts, he sug- gests that they could be reduced by purchasing foreign goods, admitting them to this country free and then neglecting to pay for them. He execu- him feel hes es JUDGE your master! 1932 would vive a bonus to all disabled soldiers and a pair of bones to all the others and let nature take its course. It is not known how many votes he can count on in the convention, but anything is likely to happen at a convention, no matter who's hav- ing it, and this one will be Demo- cratic. DANA COTIE. of Senatorial Note HE speeches made by Huey Long, The Senato: unless I’m wrong— Contrive to his hearers quite Convinced his parents named him right. People no longer want to read suc- cess stories, says ma lisher, All kinds of f. to be taboo these days. ine pub- tales seem And this year we screen the summer bungalow so the mosquitoes can't set out of the rage and annoy us. think we'll The deaf and dumb golfer misses a short putt comicbooks.com