A complete issue · 16 pages · 1891
Judge — September 12, 1891
# Judge Magazine, September 12, 1891 This cartoon satirizes someone suffering from illness, likely political or social in nature. The disheveled figure, dressed in formal attire with a cap, appears severely afflicted—the caption "HE IS GETTING VERY, VERY SICK!" suggests his condition is worsening. The scattered objects around him (including what appears to be documents or papers labeled with text we can partially make out) suggest moral or political corruption. The rural/desolate setting with a grave marker in the background implies this is a commentary on something dying or in terminal decline. Without being able to definitively identify the specific figure or read all text clearly, this appears to be **attacking a particular political figure or movement** whose deteriorating fortunes Judge's editors found cause for satisfaction in 1891.
# Judge Magazine Page Analysis This page from *Judge* contains multiple brief satirical items rather than a single cartoon. The main illustration shows two figures in what appears to be a domestic scene labeled "WANTED THINGS UNDERSTOOD," depicting a conversation about household expenses. The text sections mock various political and social targets: Governor Pattison's kiss-avoidance, Patrick Egan's diplomatic appointment, and Robert Pattison's candidacy. One item jokes about "Farmer Jones" and his mustache; another criticizes the silver question and tariffs—common late-19th-century political debates. The "Taxation as a Penalty" section discusses taxing bachelors, a proposal the author satirizes as absurd. Without specific dates or clearer identification of all figures, the exact historical moment remains uncertain, but the content reflects 1890s American political preoccupations.
# Analysis of Judge Magazine Page 369 This page contains multiple satirical cartoons and brief commentaries typical of Judge's social humor. **"A Case of Absent-Mindedness"** (left panels): Shows a distracted man forgetting to look in a fellow's boots for valuables, then being told to "Confound them cats!" The joke involves petty theft and household chaos. **"In Salem, Massachusetts"** (center): A dialogue among characters discussing ancestors and witchcraft, playing on Salem's historical witch trial notoriety for comedic effect. **"The Disadvantages and Advantages of It"** (bottom right): Two sketches of a man with a cork leg—one awkwardly positioned on land, one advantageous in water. This pun-based humor mocks disability through physical comedy, typical of period attitudes. The page reflects late 19th/early 20th-century humor conventions: slapstick, wordplay, and casual mockery of misfortune.
