Life, 1888-03-01 · page 11 of 16
Life — March 1, 1888 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Political Satire from Life Magazine This page satirizes late-19th-century political figures and events through the "Fishes" zodiac symbol for February. The top panel references someone (likely a political figure) offered a crown but refusing it—a Shakespearean allusion suggesting false modesty about power. "Blaine's letter" appears to reference James G. Blaine declining a crown/nomination, which the satirist calls "fishy" (suspicious). McGlynn (likely Father Edward McGlynn, a controversial priest) is mocked as played for "a sucker," while Henry George (single-tax advocate) is compared to an oyster leaving his Anti-Poverty activism. The bottom cartoon shows Professor Bismarck lecturing on "Peace"—likely ironic, given Bismarck's reputation as a warmonger and realpolitik strategist. The Fisheries Treaty mentioned appears topical to this moment. Overall, the satire uses fish/ocean metaphors to ridicule political hypocrisy and questionable motives.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“THERE WAS A CROWN OFT ETD HIM; AND BEING OFFER'D WIM, HE PUT IT BY WITH THE BACK OF. WS WAND. THUS: BUT, TO MY TH! WAS VERY LOATH’ HIS FINGERS ‘OFF ITs FEBRUARY is most properly. desis- nated in the Zodiac by the Fishes. Baine’s letter declining a kingly crown which had been offered him, not by Vox Populi, but rather by Vox in his individ- ual capacity than by Populi in his, had a very fishy look. McGLyxw was played for a sucker, as | the English "say, and that theoretical | oyster Henry George has gone off the Anti-Poverty shell and nestled down in an independent bed. Len began, the Fisheries Treaty was published, and altogether Pisces managed to perch on the topmost wave of Public interest. LECTURE “By “PROFESSOR, BISMARCK. SVBIECT; “PEAC E . comicbooks.com