A complete issue · 19 pages · 1887
Judge — September 17, 1887
# "Our Society and the Peer" This September 17, 1887 Judge cartoon satirizes American social pretension regarding European nobility. The illustration shows two figures in military dress examining what appears to be a impoverished or disreputable foreign aristocrat in a urban British setting. Signs visible in the background reference "tailor," suggesting financial desperation. The caption's text—"The reception we should like to see accorded titled Foreigners with doubtful reputations. But which we shall not see this century"—critiques American society's tendency to fawn over European titles regardless of character or merit. The satire suggests Americans would never actually reject such figures, despite knowing their reputations are questionable, exposing American social climbing and deference to Old World hierarchy as hypocritical and misguided.
# Analysis of Judge Magazine Page This page contains editorial commentary and one cartoon labeled "OUR NEW COLORED GARDENER," depicting a man digging or working in soil while another figure stands nearby with a cane. The text discusses various political figures and issues of the era, including references to: - The health of the Czar of Russia - Governor Hill and patent milkers - Marlborough's status - Sara Bernhardt's finances - Robert Lincoln's bankruptcy - Frederick Gebhardt - Robert Lincoln (referenced as "OUR BOB") - Cleveland's administration The cartoon appears to satirize labor or racial dynamics, though the specific historical context—whether referencing a particular scandal, employment practice, or political figure—is unclear without additional dating information. The overall page reflects late 19th-century American political satire addressing governance, labor issues, and public figures.
# Explanation of Judge Magazine Page **Top Cartoon ("Badly Afflicted"):** A drunk man staggers home at dawn while his wife waits, furious. The caption jokes that he's "badly afflicted"—a satirical comment on marital discord. The humor targets both his drunkenness and her predictable anger. **Political Commentary:** The text discusses Democratic Party figures—Jeff Davis, Grover Cleveland, David B. Hill—suggesting political combinations and positioning for influence. It mocks the idea of Davis recognizing the American Union (implying Southern Democratic resistance to Reconstruction). **Other Jabs:** References to railroad monopolists posing as "mourners" for the defunct link-and-pin coupling system (an old, dangerous railway technology finally being abandoned), Simon Cameron's suspicious youthfulness, and anarchists executed in Chicago (the 1887 Haymarket executions). The page satirizes late-1880s political alignments, Democratic factionalism, industrial safety reforms, and social hypocrisies—typical Judge content mixing domestic humor with partisan commentary.
