Life, 1885-08-27 · page 7 of 16
Life — August 27, 1885 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "The President's Vacation" This satirical cartoon mocks a sitting president (identity unclear from image alone) for taking a vacation while facing serious political problems. The chorus of "Adirondack Sportsmen" sarcastically questions why the president lacks protective gear against "black flies and mosquitoes"—a dismissive way of saying he's ignoring real threats to Democratic Party governance. Grover Cleveland's response suggests the president has been "exposed to the most malignant form of Democratic office seekers for six months," implying exhaustion from patronage demands. The poem "Eliza" below reinforces the mockery: it questions why the president sought refuge in books and counting his money rather than addressing his actual responsibilities—suggesting he's abandoned his duties for selfish leisure.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE PRESIDENT’S VACATION. Chorus of Adirondack Sportsmen: WHAT, MR. PRESIDENT, NO VEIL? NO GLOVES? NOTH- ING TO PROTECT YOU FROM THE BLACK FLIES AND MOSQUITOES? Grover Cleveland: BLACK FLIES AND MOSQUITOES? WHY, GENTLEMEN, YOU SEEM TO FORGET THAT I HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO THE MOST MALIGNANT FORM OF DEMOCRATIC OFFICE SEEKERS FOR SIX MONTHS, ELIZA. Who favored him with sunny smiles And wielded many winning wiles, Who walked with him for miles and miles ? Eliza. HY sought he ever shady nooks Or plunged himself in pensive books ; What caused his limp and languid looks ? Eliza, % But when he put it to the test What made him snatch from off the shelf And thought to be among the blest, With eager hands his precious pelf, What did her smiling prove, at best ? To count, and reassure himself ? A lie, Sir! Eliza. REL B. comicbooks.com