Judge — September 30, 1922

# Analysis of "The Secret of Health" This page is primarily a **patent medicine advertisement** for Nujol, a laxative product marketed as a "lubricant" rather than a traditional purgative. The cartoon depicts a conversation between two women—Mrs. Armstrong (a customer) and what appears to be a pharmacist or health advisor. The dialogue humorously presents Nujol's supposed mechanism: it acts as a natural lubricant for the intestines, mimicking the body's own processes, rather than forcing evacuation like harsh laxatives. This reflects early 20th-century marketing that emphasized pseudo-scientific explanations to distinguish products in a crowded patent medicine market. The "secret" is simply regular bowel function through gentle lubrication—positioning Nujol as more sophisticated and health-conscious than competitor products. The advertisement targets health-conscious readers of *Judge* magazine.

# Analysis This page is primarily **advertising content**, not satire or editorial cartoons. It's a "Bankers' Shopping Guide" featuring six advertisements for upscale New York establishments circa 1922: 1. **Maison Bernard** - women's clothing (gowns, wraps, tailleers) 2. **Cartier, Inc.** - jewelry, advertising their exhibit at the American Bankers Association Convention 3. **Brentano's** - bookseller 4. **Harr Co.** - women's sports apparel 5. **Katherine Hauer** - designer of street and evening wear 6. **Nestle's** - hair permanent waving service The page targets wealthy bankers attending the 1922 ABA Convention in New York, directing them to luxury retailers. There is no political satire present—this is commercial promotion aimed at an affluent demographic.

# Page Analysis This page is primarily **promotional material rather than satire or political commentary**. It's a memorial advertisement for Elbert Hubbard, an American writer and philosopher who died in the 1915 sinking of the RMS Lusitania. The portrait shows Hubbard himself. The Roycrofters (his publishing institution) are issuing a memorial edition of his famous work, "Little Journeys to the Homes of the Great"—a 14-volume series written over fourteen years celebrating notable historical figures. The page emphasizes Hubbard's literary influence and philosophy that "Art is merely the expression of a man's joy in his work." **Bottom section:** A mail coupon invites readers to request a free Little Journey booklet and essay ("A Message to Garcia") in exchange for considering a memorial subscription set—a common early-20th-century direct-mail sales tactic.

# Analysis of Judge Magazine Page This page satirizes banking practices during the Federal Reserve era. The article features F.J. Zurlinden, Deputy Governor of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, describing a dispute where a member bank attempted to rediscount notes with altered maturity dates—changing them from six months to ninety days to obtain needed funds. The Federal Reserve refused, and the bank president allegedly claimed ignorance of the alterations. The illustration below captioned "Any evening in the home of the president of any bank" depicts a lavish dinner scene with wealthy figures and abundant food, satirizing bankers' opulent lifestyles. The implication is that despite claiming innocence about fraudulent paper alterations, bankers lived extravagantly—suggesting either dishonesty or gross negligence regarding their institutions' financial practices.

# "Confessions of a Bank Burglar" Analysis This satirical piece by Ellis Parker Butler mocks the supposed "scientific" methods that wealthy people recommended for teaching children financial responsibility. The cartoon illustrates the absurd concept of a "baby-bank"—a practice where infants supposedly learn to save by depositing coins. The satire targets upper-class parenting advice of the era, particularly the notion that children should be trained from birth to accumulate money. The accompanying illustration shows a crowd gathered around what appears to be an actual bank entrance, with the banner "HUMANITY FORWARD ON THIS SIDE," suggesting social pretension. The text humorously details various burglary techniques framed as lessons learned from these "baby-banks," implying that such training actually produces criminals rather than responsible citizens—a biting commentary on period wealth-building ideology.

# "Another Big Bank Hold-Up" This satirical cartoon from *Judge* magazine uses absurdist humor to mock baby savings accounts and parental financial irresponsibility during an era of banking anxiety (likely early 20th century, given the references to "Parent-Burglars' Association"). The illustration shows a crowd at what appears to be a bank entrance. The accompanying text, written as advice from an experienced "baby-bank burglar," is satirizing parents who repeatedly raid their children's savings accounts. The joke operates on multiple levels: parents are portrayed as actual thieves stealing from piggy banks ("burgling"), while the text treats this as a professional skill with a "motto" ("Early and Often"). The satire critiques parental hypocrisy—teaching children financial responsibility while simultaneously undermining it through theft. References to the child losing "confidence" in the bank and preferring to swallow coins rather than save them underscore the damage such behavior causes. The cartoon likely reflects Depression-era or pre-Depression anxieties about financial instability and moral decay among the middle class.

# Analysis of "Industrial Perpetual Motion" by Lyman J. Gage This satirical piece mocks both naive economic thinking and banking conservatism. A desert prospector pitches a banker a scheme: stock an island with cats that eat carp from an adjoining lake, then feed the carp the cats' remains—creating "perpetual motion" with no input costs. The satire works on multiple levels. The prospector represents get-rich-quick dreamers who misunderstand economic fundamentals. The banker (likely Gage himself, given the byline) represents institutional caution—he consults his board and writes to the American Bankers' Association rather than simply rejecting obvious nonsense. The top cartoon "Law of Supply and Demand" shows figures of increasing prosperity, illustrating the legitimate economic principle the scheme grotesquely parodies. The bottom section "Foreign Exchange" appears unrelated. The joke: both the charlatan and the bureaucrat are foolish—one for the impossible scheme, the other for treating it as requiring expert analysis rather than common sense.

# Explanation for Modern Readers The cartoon depicts a rural farmer (Deacon Hardcastle) standing in a field damaged by crows, with another man suggesting he wait for the birds to leave. The visual joke: the farmer's crops are ruined, yet he seems resigned to inaction—a commentary on rural poverty and helplessness. The accompanying article satirizes the piano industry's response to declining sales. It proposes an absurd solution: a "combination piano-limousine"—placing a baby grand piano inside an automobile. The satire mocks both the piano industry's desperation and advertising's ability to spin fantasies (picnics with impromptu dances) to sell impractical products. The contrast is stark: automobiles vastly outnumber pianos (100+ cars per piano), yet the industry imagines forcing pianos into cars rather than accepting market reality. The final line about seismographs measuring "prosperity shocks" wryly suggests satire itself is the only honest measure of economic folly.

# Analysis for Modern Readers This page from *Judge* magazine contains a satirical essay by Heywood Broun about the awkward relationship between ordinary people and bankers, illustrated with humorous cartoons. **Main Points:** The essay mocks formal banking conventions—particularly monthly statements that are presented as "puzzles" the depositor must decipher, and confusing bank correspondence about overdrafts. Broun notes bankers lack humor; they don't appreciate jokes about overdrawing accounts. **The Satire:** The piece gently critiques both bankers' stuffiness and the public's financial ignorance. However, Broun's closing argument is ironic: he suggests bankers have become more interesting since New York's recent bank robberies—now they get excitement imagining being robbed ("pursued by Indians"), making their dull work feel like adventure stories. **The Cartoons:** The top illustration ("Skipping the tape") shows figures with a rope between them. The bottom illustrations ("Leapfrog" and "Coupothenics") appear to be separate humorous sketches, though their exact relevance is unclear from the visible text. This reflects early-20th-century middle-class anxieties about banking procedures and institutional formality.

# Political & Social Commentary from Judge Magazine This page satirizes early 20th-century banking and financial instability. The main text mocks how bankers' routines have become chaotic—messengers might disappear with securities, money is printed like "baseball extras," and the profession has lost respectability. The piece suggests bankers now gamble on whether employees will abscond with bonds, treating it as entertainment. The "Juggling" cartoon (center-left) depicts a banker juggling money, visually representing the precarious, unstable nature of modern finance. A secondary anecdote mentions Paul M. Warburg's appointment to the Federal Reserve Board, treated humorously through a cleaning woman's naive reaction to his "big salary." The satire reflects anxiety about rapid financial change, currency instability, and post-WWI economic uncertainty, when banking seemed less dignified and more chaotic than traditional practice.

# "Why Banks Close At 3 O'clock" This is a lighthearted satire about attractive young women in theatrical productions. The joke plays on the phrase "banks close at 3 o'clock"—suggesting banks close early because male employees are distracted by these actresses. The page identifies three performers from Broadway farces and musicals: Isabel Leighton (from "Why Men Leave Home"), Jacquelyn Hunter (from "Daffy Dill"), and Elsie Lombard (from "The Gingham Girl"). The humor derives from the implication that their physical attractiveness would cause male bank employees to abandon work early to see shows featuring these women. This reflects early 20th-century theatrical culture and contemporary attitudes toward chorus girls and actresses as objects of male attention, presented here as mild, tongue-in-cheek comedy typical of Judge magazine's satirical approach.

# George Jean Nathan's Theater Page: "The Clown Is Good" This is a theatrical review column, not a political cartoon. The header illustration depicts a stage scene with performers and audience, establishing the entertainment theme. Nathan critiques three Broadway productions: James Forbes' "The Endless Chain" (criticized for repetitive exposition), Edward Paulton's "Her Temporary Husband" (dismissed as old-fashioned farce from an earlier theatrical era), and "Molly Darling" (a musical comedy praised for balancing sentiment with humor). The reviews are characteristic of early 20th-century theater criticism—witty, sometimes condescending, and peppered with references to contemporary performers and outdated theatrical conventions. Nathan praises Miss Margaret Lawrence and Jack Donahue's dancing while mocking plays that rely on heavy-handed storytelling techniques and dated stage aesthetics (Columbia bicycle advertisements, Yucatan chewing gum promotions). The satire targets theatrical mediocrity and nostalgia for an earlier, cruder stage era.