Life, 1887-12-29 · page 4 of 21
Life — December 29, 1887 — page 4: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Life Magazine, December 29, 1887 The masthead cartoon depicts a stark, gnarled tree against a landscape with "While there's Life there's Hope" as its motto—a visual pun on the magazine's name suggesting resilience despite hardship. The editorial content addresses European political tensions, specifically dismissing foreign correspondents' predictions of imminent warfare. The editors express skepticism about whether a conflict will actually occur, noting that past antagonists (referencing figures like "Jem Mace and Joe Coburn," boxing champions) have talked big but avoided actual fighting. The piece satirizes both sensationalist war reporting and European political theater, suggesting that despite posturing by kings, emperors, and czars, economic and practical considerations will likely prevent actual combat—a commentary on late-19th-century European power dynamics and media speculation.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
VOL. x. DECEMBER 29, 1887. 28 West TwEnty-THIRD Street, New York. No. 261. Published every Thursday, $5.00 a year in advance, postage free. Single copies, 10 cents. Back numbers can be had by applying to this office. Vol. I., $1.50 per number; Vol. II., 25 cents per number ; Vols, III., 1V., V., VI., VII., VIII, and IX, at regular rates. Rejected contributions will be destroyed unless accompanied by a stamped and directed envelope. Subscribers wishing address changed will greatly facilitate matters by sending old address as well as new. ELL, dearly beloved, what did you get in your stock- ing? A brick, maybe! Better there than in your hat. If either extremity of the wardrobe must be stretched to make high holiday, let it be the stocking. Christmas being safely past, let us gird ourselves for New Year's. There are no New Year stockings to hang up, but there are resolutions to be made, and this, ours—to lead out a sprightlier and more humane LIFE this year than ever. There is lots of work ahead in the coming twelvemonth, and LiFe intends to do its share, which will largely consist of righteous endeavors to keep other workers up to their duty. If its efforts are successful, two things will transpire early in the year. One will be a revision of the tariff, and another will be a copyright law which shall enable the de- serving American. author to reap in English fields as well as at home. Other labors, later in the year, will concern the tenancy of the White House. There is no question in our mind who will be Lire’s candidate for the new lease, or that he will get it; but sufficient to the day of nomination are the candidates, and sufficient unto the White House at present is its present occupant. ID any one miss Santa Claus this year? A movement to shut him out was reported, and it was even said to have the support of a famous divine, who has a big, brown church on Fifth Avenue. But of course the movement failed. Kriss Kringle is one of the immortals. Tony Comstock himself could not suppress him. He came just as usual, and left the children with full arms, and the adults with empty pockets. In his great feat of transferring emoluments, he outdoes the very boodle aldermen. But it is vain to try to indict him. He has the support of a powerful class of the community who are able to corrupt any jury that could be gathered to try him. HE foreign correspondents are trying to make out that a big fight is brewing in Europe, and will break out in the spring. For our part, we don’t believe it, and never will believe again in any war of any consequence in Europe, until somebody is hurt. Was it not Jem Mace and Joe Coburn (the sporting editor has gone skating) who had such tremendous reputations as fighters that when a mill was arranged between them they faced each other for hours, but neither dared strike a blow? Is not that the situation across the water? Kings and em- Pperors and czars give the war-signals over there, and the last emperor who did it and brought on a great fight was a private citizen before the guns ceased firing. The stakes are so big that none of our fellow-monarchs dare play. Besides, there is a contest of endurance between the great powers of Europe all the time, to see which will break down first in training. They can enjoy most of the disadvantages of red-handed conflict without so much as striking a match, so why come to blows ? If the correspondents are agreeable, LiFe will hesitate a little longer about laying in any military pictures, and be satisfied with raising its peace-prophet's pay. . . . NY gentle reader who must have war need not go to Europe for it. He can get it in quantities to suit the purchaser at the headquarters of the Nineteenth Century Club. Two eminent XIX. Centurions declare that to coun- tenance anarchism is not an idiosyncracy of the harmless sort, and that they cannot conscientiously remain members of an organization whose architect and chief is addicted to that habit. Mr. Courtland Palmer is an astute manager, but Judge Barrett and Mr. Carnegie have left him two pairs of capa- cious shoes to fill. Mere intelligent negation may be com- pared to a stubborn mule, about which a crowd may gather ; but when the negation becomes affirmative, it is as though the mule’s heels began to play, and the crowd is apt to scatter. R. KEELY admits that he has not done anything yet, and hopes to continue therein at a slight increase of pay. Still, the world has made some progress, for the King of the Dudes has got married, and that amounts to abdi- cation. Be always H APPY New Years to you, Dearly Beloved! good this coming year, and have all the fun you con- sistently can, It is better to be glum than to be unrighteous, but better still to be neither. comicbooks.com