A complete issue · 16 pages · 1886
Judge — August 28, 1886
# "The Political 'Keely' Motor" — Judge Magazine, August 28, 1886 This cartoon satirizes John Worrell Keely, an inventor who claimed to have created a revolutionary "motor" powered by "etheric force." The caption quotes Keely Cleveland (likely a pun combining the inventor's name with President Grover Cleveland) saying he cannot demonstrate the motor but needs people's faith and investment. The cartoon mocks both Keely's fraudulent invention scheme and, by extension, politicians who make grand promises without delivering results. The caricatured figures in formal dress represent credulous investors or politicians being duped. The motor appears on the floor as a mere drawing—suggesting it exists only in theory, never in working reality. The satire targets gullible faith in unproven schemes.
# Analysis of Judge Magazine Page 2 This page contains political commentary and a cartoon titled "In the Style." The main cartoon depicts a conversation between a "Proprietor" and "Innocence" (a young boy) about stolen orchard fruit, with the punchline playing on how "pants are cut" — a crude joke about the boy's appearance or clothing. The text columns discuss various political matters including references to M.M. Depew, Alexander Hamilton, and Democratic Party issues. One section titled "Stories for Feeble Intellects" sarcastically critiques politicians' simplistic rhetoric. The overall tone is typical Judge satire: mocking political figures, social hypocrisy, and public discourse of the era. Without clear dates or specific current events mentioned, the precise targets remain unclear, but the general thrust attacks Democratic leadership and celebrates cynicism about politics.
