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1931 PROHIBITION Editorial Cartoon Pages - Wickersham Commission Repor - $6 (Mount Prospect)
1201 West Sunset Road, Mount Prospect, IL, USA near Waverly
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What is Included on These Historic Pages:
1. "Bound to Catch It No Matter What He Said" (Pages 15–16)
The Cartoon: Features a full-page, brilliant editorial illustration by the legendary Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Jay N. "Ding" Darling (reprinted from the Louisville Times). It satirizes George W. Wickersham trapped between a furious "Dry Fanatic" and an equally angry "Wet Fanatic," both screaming over his long-awaited report.
The Text ("The Prison Riots"): Contains an incredibly dark, detailed journalistic report charting how aggressive Volstead Act prosecutions caused unprecedented prison overcrowding crises. It directly blames Prohibition for the historic, deadly inmate uprisings at Leavenworth Federal Prison (Kansas) as well as Dannemora and Auburn prisons (New York).
2. "Hard, Common Sense" (Pages 33–34)The Cartoon: An editorial cartoon by James North showing Assistant Secretary of the Treasury Seymour Lowman caught between opposing political factions while a giant boulder labeled "The Wickersham Letter" threatens to crush them.
The Text: Features a fascinating report from a Detroit newspaperman surveying illicit bootlegging smuggling fleets active along the Detroit River, Lake St. Clair, and Lake Erie.
3. "In Accord At Last" (Pages 37–38)The Cartoon: A unique political cartoon by Carlisle showing the normally warring "Wet" and "Dry" factions finally looking happy and in complete agreement over a piece of paper labeled "Wickersham's Proposal" because it offered a compromise solution that ceased the fighting.
The Text ("Commissioner Doran's Releases"): Outlines federal policy shifts regarding home brewing, explicitly highlighting internal debates about whether private citizens could legally press grapes into wine or cider for personal consumption without triggering a government search warrant.
Condition Note: Excellent vintage condition for paper ephemera that is nearly a century old. The edges are sharp, the black-and-white typography and cartoon inks remain highly contrasting, and the paper shows a natural, light uniform cream patina. There are no heavy ink stamps, moisture damage, or text-cutting tears.