Judge — April 5, 1919

# Judge Magazine Advertisement Analysis This page is primarily an advertisement for *Judge* magazine itself, using humor to promote home subscription. The cartoon depicts two characters: one excitedly telling another they're "packing" to travel to California or New York by train, hoping to read *Judge* there. The satire targets people who only encounter *Judge* in public spaces (libraries, train cars) rather than owning copies. The ad copy humorously suggests that subscribing at home offers superior reading comfort—no interruptions, no judgment from strangers, unlimited re-reading. The implicit social joke: *Judge* is so entertaining that people become obsessed with it in public settings, making spectacles of themselves. Home subscription promises dignified, private enjoyment of the magazine's satirical humor and cartoons.

# "Total Eclipse" – Judge Magazine, April 5, 1919 This cartoon plays on a solar eclipse (a real astronomical event) as metaphor for romantic or social "eclipse"—a darkening of one person by another's presence or influence. The image shows a woman's face prominently illuminated in the upper left, while a man's face below appears shadowed or "eclipsed" by her. The title "Total Eclipse / Invisible Generally Throughout the United States" suggests this depicts a specific relationship or romantic situation where one partner dominates or overshadows the other. Without additional context, the specific identities remain unclear, though the artwork is credited to C.D. Barreaux. The satire likely mocks contemporary romantic dynamics or a particular public couple, using the eclipse as a clever visual pun for relationship imbalance.

# "Keep To The Right!" This illustration by Agnes MacDougall depicts a horse-drawn wagon on a narrow forest road, with the driver visible from behind. The title "Keep To The Right!" appears to reference traffic safety or road etiquette—a public service message rather than political satire. The image likely dates to the early automobile era when horses and carriages still dominated roads. The caption functions as a cautionary reminder for safe driving practices, particularly relevant as vehicular traffic increased and collisions became a concern. This appears to be a straightforward safety PSA rather than political commentary, using pastoral scenery to illustrate the importance of road discipline and preventing accidents through proper lane positioning.

# "Grimley Moves the Bureau" This is a humorous domestic story illustrated by Gordon Ross, not political satire. The narrative concerns Mrs. Grimley attempting to move a large, ornate bureau (dresser) through her home—a task complicated by the furniture's size relative to doorways and hallways. The joke centers on the physical comedy of moving oversized furniture through confined spaces. The illustration shows a woman gesturing in frustration while men struggle with the piece. The accompanying text emphasizes the absurdity: the bureau is wider than the doorway, yet human ingenuity somehow manages to relocate it anyway. This reflects early 20th-century domestic humor typical of *Judge* magazine, focusing on relatable household situations rather than political commentary.

# Analysis of Judge Magazine Page **Main Story**: The text describes Grimley, a man frustrated with his wife's expensive furniture purchases. He's trying to return a bureau, negotiating with a drayman (furniture mover), while his wife resists. The narrative humorously depicts marital conflict over household spending and the logistics of moving furniture. **Cartoon ("The Double Steering Wheel")**: Drawn by Norman Anthony, this satirical illustration depicts a car with two steering wheels—one operated by a man and another by a woman passenger. The caption jokes that this device is "For Riding Behind Reckless Drivers and Engaged Couples." The satire mocks both reckless male drivers and controlling female passengers (particularly fiancées), suggesting women felt compelled to literally take control during automobile rides due to men's dangerous driving habits—a common complaint in early automotive-era society.

# Judge Magazine Page Analysis This page contains satirical commentary and humor pieces typical of the 1920s era, likely post-Prohibition's enactment (1920). **Main Article**: "Why Are Preachers?" mocks the evolution of religious authority from primitive "bonehead" correctors to modern "Gentle Persuaders" and "Professors of Comparative Morality." It satirizes how preaching has become merely scheduled entertainment—filler between choir performances—and how urban preachers, unlike rural ones receiving humble gifts (wood, apples, syrup), struggle financially despite their "moral authority." **Top Cartoon** ("Nesting Time"): Shows a couple viewing a "For Rent/Sale" house, likely satirizing the post-war housing market or marriage/domestic expectations. **"Prohibition" Poem**: Parodies Rubaiyat-style verse, lamenting Prohibition's effects—replacing wine with milk and leaving only "endless dusty wilderness" ahead, directly criticizing the recent alcohol ban. The humor reflects 1920s anxieties: commercialized religion, changing social values, and frustration with Prohibition policies.

# "A Test of Endurance" This satirical illustration by James Montgomery Flagg depicts three men in suits surrounding a woman in distress—she appears anxious or distressed, with her hand to her face. A large shadowy figure looms behind them, holding an ornate grandfather clock showing nearly midnight. The title "A Test of Endurance" suggests the cartoon satirizes social situations involving persistence or pressure. The clock imagery likely references time running out or deadline pressure. The woman's distress and the men's positioning suggests commentary on social dynamics—possibly mocking male persistence in courtship or business negotiations that wear down female resistance. The shadowy figure and ominous clock create an uncomfortable atmosphere, implying the "test" involves unwanted pressure rather than fair competition. Without additional context, the specific political or social target remains unclear.

# Explanation for Modern Readers This *Judge* magazine page contains three satirical pieces: **"His Supplementary Suggestion"** depicts a moralistic reformer petitioning to ban games (cards, dice, billiards) as municipal "misdemeanors." An old man agrees—*if* the petition also bans idle habits like thumb-twiddling, gossiping about weather, and calling strangers "Brother" while minding their business. The joke mocks self-righteous crusaders who seek to legislate morality while ignoring their own annoying social behaviors. **"Next Year"** sarcastically comments on wartime romantic imagery: artists depict women enthusiastically welcoming soldier-heroes home from combat. The punch line: next year, those same women will revert to chasing men with money, not military service. This cynically dismisses sentimental patriotic narratives as temporary propaganda. **"Helpful Hints on the Lawn"** offers absurdist gardening advice (hammering bumps, using mole-tunnels as hoses), plainly nonsensical for comedic effect. All three pieces target hypocrisy, false sentimentality, and self-deluding behavior in American society.

# "The Touring Car of the Future" - Judge Magazine Satire This is a futuristic tour-guide satire imagining early 20th-century America as archaeological ruins. The narrator conducts a "touring car" of visitors past extinct institutions: theaters, cafés, dance halls, and satirical publications—all presented as historical relics, like visiting Roman ruins. The joke targets progressive-era anxieties: theaters and dance halls are presented as morally questionable (shop-girls with sailors), while satirical weeklies (Judge itself) are dismissed as mere artifacts. The most cutting reference: "America's last satiric weekly" now sells hygienic teething-rings—mocking how satire has become commercialized and obsolete. The companion cartoon shows a car mechanic exploiting a customer, with a humorous exchange about wartime "measures" (price inflation). Together, these pieces satirize both societal decline and contemporary profiteering, reflecting post-WWI disillusionment and class anxiety in Jazz Age America.

# "Hands and What to Do With Them" — Judge Magazine Satire This humorous article by Harry Irving Shumway satirizes social etiquette and awkwardness of the era by offering absurd, exaggerated advice on hand placement in various formal settings. The joke targets the genuine anxiety men faced about proper deportment in public situations—where to put one's hands was genuinely discussed in etiquette guides. The cartoons illustrate ridiculous solutions: sitting on hands at dinner, contorting arms at concerts, holding manuscripts like purses when meeting editors, and hiding hands in wedding photos. The final comic strip "Circumstantial Evidence" depicts a soldier applying for early discharge, claiming psychological research at Tubbs University—the humor lying in the obvious fabrication and the absurdity of the excuse. The closing dialogue about anesthesia appears to be a separate, unrelated joke about a doctor's visit. Overall, the page mocks both male social self-consciousness and flimsy military excuses common to the WWI era.

# Analysis for Modern Readers This page from *Judge* magazine satirizes **Prohibition**, the constitutional ban on alcohol (1920-1933). The cartoon depicts soldiers departing for WWI, with the caption referencing destinations like New York and Paris—likely commenting on American involvement in the war. The poetry "Dry Country 'Tis of Thee" is the main satire: a parody of "America" that laments Prohibition's arrival. The author mourns that his fathers "died" before the "dry" era, sardonically praising their escape from a nation now "closed" to alcohol production ("stills"). The final poem mocks a wealthy couple ("Richquick") building a house while hiring an incompetent builder—likely social commentary on the era's nouveau riche. The humor relies on readers' frustration with Prohibition, presenting it as absurd governmental overreach that contradicts American freedom.

# Analysis of Judge Magazine Political Cartoon (1919) This page satirizes post-World War I tensions. The central image shows Congress juggling competing demands: a trillion-dollar budget, "Peace," labor strikes, and war debts—while attempting a dangerous balancing act. Left panel: A German military figure (marked "Germany Cannot Invade Factories...") claims "Nein, I was NOT defeated!" while brandishing demands for colony return and 1,000,000 under arms—mocking Germany's refusal to accept World War I defeat. Right panel: A goose labeled "Prosperity" is being killed by "Strikes" and "Capital," illustrating the era's labor unrest destroying economic growth—the metaphorical "golden egg." Top right: A figure labeled "Peace" struggles to land safely amid postwar chaos. The cartoonist (E.W. Kemble) critiques how postwar America faced Germany's belligerence, labor-capital conflict, and economic instability simultaneously—warning that destruction of prosperity benefits no one.