A complete issue · 16 pages · 1890
Judge — January 25, 1890
# Political Cartoon Analysis This 1890 *Judge* magazine cartoon satirizes efforts to resolve racial conflict in the post-Reconstruction South. The title "THE WRONG WAY TO SETTLE THE RACE QUESTION IN THE SOUTH" condemns violent solutions. The central figure appears to be a cowboy or Southern character standing over what looks like a demon or devil creature emerging from flames. A large bottle labeled "RECONCILIATION" and "JUSTICE" sits nearby, with a sign reading "H.W. GRADY" visible—likely Henry W. Grady, a prominent Georgia journalist advocating for the "New South." The cartoon criticizes that Grady's reconciliation rhetoric and calls for "justice" ring hollow when accompanied by violence (the burning building in background suggests racial violence or lynching). The demon figure represents the brutality underlying these claimed peaceful solutions to racial tensions.
# "A Hopeless Case" - Judge Magazine Cartoon Analysis This cartoon depicts two figures in what appears to be a police or institutional setting. The caption reads: "First Officer: 'What's wrong with him, Jimmy? Can't yer lift him?' Second Officer's Reply: 'It's no use, gentlemen; you might just as well leave me. I've been in the West-side cooking-school dinner, and I can't find another.'" The joke appears to satirize either a drunk person or someone incapacitated, with the humor hinging on a self-deprecating reference to "West-side cooking-school dinner"—likely implying the officer ate something indigestible that has weakened him. The satire targets working-class conditions or institutional food quality, using physical comedy to mock urban social conditions of the era.
# Analysis of Judge Magazine Page 253 The page contains several political commentaries typical of Judge's satirical style. The main illustration, "Anticipating the Proposal," depicts a woman refusing a man's marriage proposal, with dialogue suggesting hesitation about commitment. The text sections comment on contemporary political issues, including critiques of the Cleveland administration's patronage practices and Senator Morgan's views on African colonization. References to "Calvin S. Price" and legislative voter blocks suggest specific contemporary political debates. The bottom cartoon, "Sudden Change of Opinion," shows two men in conversation, satirizing how people's principles shift conveniently when circumstances favor profanity—a commentary on hypocrisy and moral flexibility among the era's public figures. Without clearer dating or additional context, the specific political figures targeted remain uncertain beyond these general satirical themes.
# "Hum of the Court" - Judge Magazine Satire Page This page collects brief satirical social observations—the magazine's signature format. Key targets include: **Divorce and morality**: Mocking Philadelphia's high divorce rate and Newport's affectations (exploding false teeth). **Gender and consumerism**: Joking that women need pockets in gloves because they'll inevitably lose something, yet won't carry pocket-books with pockets. **Notable figures**: Ward McAllister (New York society arbiter) ridiculed as simultaneously the "biggest little man" and "littlest big man"—satirizing his outsized social influence despite physical insignificance. **Political commentary**: References to Kaiser Wilhelm monuments as excessive grief-spending, and Portuguese King Carlos as attractive but destined for crown-wearing troubles. **Period prejudices**: Crude jokes about Indian women, Black servants, and Italian immigrant criminality reflect common contemporary stereotypes. The bottom cartoons depict domestic scenes: a daughter departing for Paris, and a servant praised for reliability. These humorously capture class and family dynamics of the era.
