Judge, 1933-11 · page 8 of 36
Judge — November 1933 — page 8: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis This page satirizes the consequences of Prohibition's repeal. The conversation between characters named Ed and Joe celebrates the return of legal alcohol, but mocks how quickly it has created new corruption and patronage problems. The two cartoons illustrate the satire: the top shows men relaxing at a cafe, while the bottom depicts two figures surrounded by stacks of cases—representing the bootlegging/distribution industry that has boomed since repeal. The joke targets what the text calls "the boys on the inside" and "the boys that's in with the politicians"—suggesting repeal hasn't eliminated criminal enterprise but rather shifted it into government-connected circles. References to "college professors drawin' down dough from the government in soft jobs" and comparisons to "a big chump foreman" imply New Deal patronage and corruption replaced Prohibition-era bootlegging as the real racket.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Judge Conversation Following Repeal “ ELLO, Ed. How's “Okay feel great “Sure does, Joe. Greatest thing that ever happened. Didn't seem we'd ever 4 . though, did it vt seem like we ever I just said to Hank Davis not a Hank, it didn’t seem like get repeal.’ And Hank said to me, ‘well, no, it didn’t seem like we ever would’, 3ut we got it finally, didn’t we “Yeah, and it just shows yuh people in this country can get what they want n they go after it. We wanted woul minute we'd ever g al and we got repeal.” eah, it’s a great country, Es we got liquor now, and it proves it’s a great country.” “Yeah, it’s a great c od to have liquor yuh can see, Ed, business is been pickin’ up ever since we started with just beer.” “T still shay they shoulda repealed it more shlowly!" “Yeah, Joe. And look at all the guys . . ntry, and it that got jobs from beer.” “And now we got repeal there'll he more jobs.” “But don’t kid yourself, Ed. It’s the boys on the in- side that'll get them jobs.” Yeah, it’s the boys that's in with the politi at “Sure, take my brother-in- law. for i SLE EBLE LEELA AE OO ce. He says his forer an is a big chump and don’t know nothin’, Just the same he’s in with a cousin of the district leader, so made foreman. You got to be on the inside.” “Or a. college professor. Them's the guys today. Look at ‘em. A guy told me just yesterday there was five hun- dred thousand college profes- sors drawin’ down dough from the government in soft jobs since the New Deal.” oy it makes me sic “Me, too, but that’s repeal for you, Joe, nothing but a damn racket!” “Yep, nothing but a racket “Well, there’s twenty cases of corn likker, —well see y’ again, Ed. ten of applejack, fifteen of bathtub gin and thirty-five gallons of S'long.” “S"long, Joe.” | alki—that ought to last me until this Repeal thing blows over.” —S. W. | 6 comicbooks.com