Life, 1884-07-24 · page 10 of 16
Life — July 24, 1884 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Political Satire: The 1884 Election This page satirizes the 1884 Republican presidential campaign through mock letters written in exaggerated rural dialect. "Squire Jorkins," a country Republican, expresses doubts about supporting James G. Blaine, the party's nominee, due to rumors about his character and civil service reform record. The satire's bite lies in the response from "General" (likely a Republican operative): he uses flowery patriotic language while subtly offering a bribe—mentioning a Custom House appointment change and saying "You know for whom *I* would vote"—clearly implying patronage rewards for political loyalty. Jorkins then succumbs to this corruption, immediately reversing his concerns when promised a government job (Collector position). The hired man Pete's comment that he'll vote for Blaine "or mak traks" (leave town) further mocks the transactional nature of politics. The satire exposes how Republican operatives used federal appointments to buy votes, contradicting their stated commitment to civil service reform.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
52 POLITICAL CORRESPONDENCE. PEROOVEN SENTER, jul 10, ate-fore. GEN’REL JONES—CHARMAN REPUBLIKEN CUMITY: dere Cer:—i'm a dide in the wule repub., as yu kno, but sens this cunvention at Shecaugo, ther 's ben a ter’ble preshure on mi hart. i’m afered blane ain’t agoen down our throtes hear in Perooven senter, onless sumthins dun rite of, and mi konshuns wunt let me voat fer nothen but onast men, nohow, an i dont se, gen’rel, how i’m goen to swaler jim blane, not if wat i here tel on him be fax an not fixion, as the po-ats sa. Tha tel me that blane is aginst sivel cervis refom! an thet he’s rit a buke, like them litrery felows up to Boston. But of cors i dont bleve thet, nohow, an thet his rekurd aint gude. Now ples ancer at wuns. Remembur i cary therty-to voats an want to voat fer our kandate if he’s al squair. Du yu think he wud du anythen fer me, perlitikel, i mene, if he wus lekted? i’m afered he want a holi choys. Yurs in trubbel, SQuiR’ JORKINS. STATE REPUBLICAN HEADQUARTERS, Jul 12, 1884. SQUIRE JORKINS: Admired and respected Sir, and life-long Republican co- adjutor: The Grand Old Party of Freedom, Reform and Retrench- ment is marching with mighty strides to sure and certain victory, and the resonant sounds of triumphant millions marching to the polls of a free and enfranchised nation, are even now echoing in every patriotic heart. Y'rs, GENERAL . P. S. There's to be a change in the Custom House at —. You know for whom / would vote. / our party wins—but I need say no more. PEROOVEN SENTER, jul 16 forth. dere Gen'rel: yur leter jest resevd, an meni thanks fer yur elackrati in releven the preshure from mi hart, tho yu du sling dikshunery an no mistak. Wen i seed your P. s. mi enthooseasm wus up. “blane and logan ferever !’”” ses i, akisen the chase sheet on wich yur leter wus rit: “3 cheres, an i’l trete al roun fer vik- tery in novembur.” & the korkus adjernd fer rafreshmence. Thank yu, Gen'rel fer thet P. s. goen bakwurd, but i ges not. if blane maks me Culektur, thet dont look as if the party of Linoun and garfeeld wus agoen bakwurd, duz it ? douts. i think blane is a 2nd Lincun, an glad to kno he’s al rite on sivel cervis refom, an never rit a buk. P. s. i jest gut 1 voat for blane. n. b. its mi hired man pete. “hullo! pete,” ses i, agoen down seller ware he wus aworkin. ‘“ how du yu stan perlitikel ?” “wy, same as yu du, Squir,” ses he ; “i ‘m a litle of kulor tha sa the repub. party is | Yur leter, of cors, dispeled al mi | > LIFE: | this yere, caus thet ol perlitikel mountiebank, jim blane—” “pete!” ses i, with a glair in mi i, “dont yu dare say noth- en agin jim blane.” an i pawsd fer a repli. he kinder kulord, an i jest told him i want goen to hire no soreheds ner demkrats in disgise, an he cud voat fer blane or mak traks. i hed him ther, eh, Gen’rel? i here the independunts are kiken. Let em kik, isa. i’m goen to Bostun sune, an i ges i'l fiks sum of em fer the gran ol party, thet is if enflooens an munni kan du it. Yurs fer Viktery in novembur, SQuIR’ JORKINS. P. s. wen’s he goen out, imene the custum hous man? jest tel blane i’m wurking fer him hart an sole. jz. A MEMORY. HE dropped her glove— Perhaps in love ; He stooped and picked it up. She flushed and smiled, The artless child, And asked him home to sup. He answered “No,” Then turned to go, And blushed beneath her glance. And off he went— For when he bent He'd badly split his pants ! BATTLE-AXE. A CHANGE of heir—the birth of a second son. GREAT staying powers—those of the girl of the period. THE ELECTRIC GIRL. Miss ZULU BuRST, THE “ LOUISIANA WONDER ”—START- LING MANIFESTATIONS OF MAGNETIC POWER—A SUPERHUMAN DISPLAY OF MUSCULAR ENERGY. OR the past week the attention of the nation has been diverted from the Chicago Convention and the Ameri- can Lacrosse team to the phenomenal performances of Miss | Zulu Burst, the “ Louisiana Wonder,” who is electrifying au- diences at a metropolitan theatre. As the accounts of her feats have been more or less exaggerated, we will give our readers a truthful and ungarnished report of what she does without attempting to explain how she does it. comicbooks.com