A complete issue · 16 pages · 1903
Judge — July 11, 1903
# "Going for the Mail" — Judge, July 11, 1903 This political cartoon satirizes Post Office Department corruption scandals. A rotund figure labeled "U.S. Post Office Dept." pursues two fleeing characters—one labeled "Honest" and another representing "Corruption"—while holding banners reading "Investigation" and "Corruption." The cartoon illustrates President Roosevelt's quoted comment (below) about prosecuting criminal acts and bad methods in government service without favoritism. The imagery suggests the Post Office Department was chasing down dishonest practices, depicted as figures literally escaping. This references the Post Office scandals of the early 1900s, where mail contracts and mismanagement became a major corruption issue requiring Roosevelt's intervention and investigation.
# "The Best Way" Cartoon Analysis This cartoon satirizes early 20th-century class attitudes toward domestic service. A well-dressed man (labeled "Mr. Daniels") confronts his waiter with an impossible demand: "Walter, what do you expect me to open these eggs with?"—implying the eggs are served in their shells, unopened. The joke mocks the employer's deliberate rudeness disguised as bewilderment. The waiter's response—"With prayer, boss"—suggests that servants were expected to endure such humiliation with resigned acceptance, their only recourse being prayer. The cartoon critiques both the absurdity of upper-class pretension and the exploitation of working-class people, who had no realistic means to challenge such treatment beyond silent suffering or religious faith.
# Analysis of Judge Magazine Page This page contains several satirical pieces targeting business and social issues of the era: **"The Situation"** mocks an air-ship promoter trying to convince skeptical stockholders to invest. The satire targets speculative business schemes promising fantastic returns (strawberry patches on floating islands) while offering no real guarantees—a common critique of early 20th-century stock promotions. **"Old and New"** presents a brief poem contrasting old-fashioned courage with modern mechanical reliance, reflecting period anxieties about industrialization. **"The Up and the Down of It"** satirizes an elevator operator's misunderstanding—a woman asks for the "seventh floor" but he thinks she said "seventh story," leading to a humorous mix-up about narrative versus building levels. **"In the Future"** appears to show a ship captain scene, likely satirizing aviation or exploration predictions. The overall tone critiques business fraud, technological anxiety, and class-based miscommunication.
# Analysis of Judge Magazine Page This page contains humorous anecdotes and light satirical sketches rather than political cartoons. The content includes: **"Reminders"** - A joke about yarn tied around wrists as memory aids, playing on domestic forgetfulness. **"The Dear Thing"** - A society joke about Reginald Rondough writing sonnets for his fiancée, mocking literary pretension among the wealthy. **"Judge's Favorites"** - Verse celebrating leisure activities (foxhunting, yachting, golf). **"A Future Millionaire"** - A classroom joke about monetary values. **"Merely a Yarn"** - A domestic quarrel story involving sewing. The cartoons depict everyday middle-class and upper-class domestic life with gentle humor. There's no identifiable political content—this represents Judge's lighter, society-focused humor rather than hard satire of specific public figures or events.
