Puck, 1879-02-19 · page 1 of 16
Puck — February 19, 1879 — page 1: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The main cartoon depicts an allegorical scene mocking the legal profession. A small figure (likely representing "Justice" or an honest person) confronts a large bearded man labeled "Pettifogging L.L.D." (a lawyer with questionable ethics). The figure carries a flag reading "Truth" while standing atop law books, suggesting an attempt to expose dishonest legal practices. The caption "Diogenes' Luck Discovers an Honest Lawyer" is satirical—referencing Diogenes' famous search for an honest man, implying honest lawyers are equally rare or impossible to find. The surrounding advertisements (divorce services, L.L.D. degrees requiring "no knowledge of Greek or Latin") reinforce the satire by highlighting actual contemporary legal abuses: easy credential-obtaining and divorce mill services that exploited customers without requiring genuine expertise.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
VOL. IY.-No. toa es Saeed 19, 1879. PUBLISHED B Ni RK | KEPPLER & SCHWARZMANN. FRADE NEW YORI 187 COOPER INSTITUTE TOLET ror. BILLIARD: TOURNANENTS Girt sows. RENT CHEAP IF PAIOUIN GREENBACKS. fy ee ‘B's ‘ MADE To ORDER. PATENT PROCESS. NO-KNOWLEOGE OF GREEK | or LATIN REQUIRED. APPLY: TO ~NEW YORIUNIVERSIT Y, Price,10 Cents. Grrice OF PUEK” 13 woRTn waLAN T.A comicbooks.com