A complete issue · 16 pages · 1899
Judge — January 21, 1899
# Political Cartoon Analysis: "Made a Monkey of Him" This 1899 *Judge* cartoon satirizes William Jennings Bryan, the Democratic presidential candidate who lost to William McKinley in 1896 and would run again in 1900. The caption shows Bryan complaining that McKinley's prosperity has made him look foolish—his supporters are celebrating McKinley's success instead of backing Bryan. The right side depicts Bryan as a literal monkey-faced figure, labeled "FREE S[ILVER]," referencing his signature campaign issue (free coinage of silver). The Capitol building and well-dressed figures in the background represent Republican political establishment and economic success. The cartoon's message: Bryan's free-silver platform appears absurd and outdated compared to McKinley's apparent economic success, making Bryan himself ridiculous to voters.
# Analysis of Judge Page The main cartoon depicts a crowded urban street scene labeled "Proposed Store for Further Benefit of Boarding-House Keepers." It satirizes the proliferation of small shops and businesses operated by boarding-house proprietors trying to supplement income. The packed storefronts with hand-painted signs suggest commercialization of domestic spaces and the economic pressures on landlords. The surrounding editorial sections address contemporary issues: women's suffrage ("Let Us Import Reform"), legal concerns about divorce coverage in newspapers ("Malice and Libel"), and political disputes within the anti-suffrage movement ("Divided, They Fall"). The page reflects early-20th-century debates about women's rights, civil service reform, and the expanding commercial urban landscape.
# Analysis of Judge Magazine Page This page contains several humorous anecdotes and a comic strip rather than political cartoons. **"A Waiter"** and **"On the Trolley"** are brief joke exchanges about domestic servants and superstitions—typical period humor about class and folk beliefs. **"Mr. McGarvey Touches on a Popular Superstition"** is a lengthy poem mocking the folk belief that beauty requires skin-deep qualities, using dialect verse to describe a woman's fading appearance with age—common satirical subject matter of the era. **"Saved by an Icicle—A Bear Story"** is a comic strip showing a man escaping a bear attack by using icicles as weapons, ending with the punchline that he lost his whiskers but saved his life. The page also includes **"Zero Etchings,"** poetry about winter weather, and brief joke exchanges, representing typical Judge magazine humor content targeting middle-class American readers.
