Life, 1888-12-20 · page 11 of 14
Life — December 20, 1888 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Life Magazine Page 351: Political Satire & Social Commentary This page contains several distinct satirical pieces from *Life* magazine (likely 1880s-90s based on references): **Main Reflections Section:** Discusses explorer Henry Morton Stanley's silence after his African expedition seeking Emin Pasha. The writer wryly notes that with no news, people are free to speculate wildly—a safe topic unlike recent elections or upcoming ones. The commentary also touches on the Panama Canal's failing prospects under de Lesseps and satirizes American newspapers' tendency to sensationalize European conflicts (particularly involving "young Emperor"—likely Wilhelm II) when domestic news is slow. **"The Holiday Spirit" Cartoon:** Shows a gentleman offering a half-dollar to a street boy, who responds enthusiastically that the giver is "a brick" (generous) and there are "no flies on" him (he's sharp/honest). This mocks performative holiday charity—the boy's exaggerated gratitude for a small coin. **O'Reilly Section:** References John Boyle O'Reilly (Boston editor) and satirizes the appointment of Benjamin Butler as a potential Minister to the Court of St. James—apparently an ironic suggestion of an unsuitable candidate.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
‘LIFE: REFLECTIONS. NTERTAINING as such a pastime may be, it is too late for persons of a speculative tendency to form hypotheses about the last election, and rather too early yet for them to be thinking about the probabilities of the next one. In the interim a pery fectly safe subject upon which opinions may be formed is Stanley and the chances of ever seeing him or hearing from him again. . | It is a good while since the explorer made any sign. If he had sent a report back by a district-messenger it could hardly have been longer coming. Meanwhile, his silence permits the widest latitude _ of surmise. Anyone is perfectly at liberty to affirm or deny that he has reached Emin, that he is the White Pasha, and that it was time long ago for him to be heard from. If there is any betting on the subject it has been so quietly done as not to furnish any important index to public opinion. . . . HE prevailing sentiment among those who are supposed to know something about African travel seems to be that there is no adequate reason yet for giving Stanley up. It costs nothing to “carry” him, and the prospect that he will return is pleasing. By all means let us keep on expecting him home until it is positively demonstrated that he is not coming ! . . . Bt can we keep on hoping for the completion of the Panama Canal? Sanguine persons may, such as hope even in Keely, but it seems as if the majority of the world had exhausted its confidence in M. de Lesseps. The smash of an enormous bubble seems to be imminent. Perhaps, when it comes, France, to disguise her mortification, will fall to and try conclusions again with Germany. I‘ is surprising, by the way, how much our able and intelligent daily journals have been able to do, since election, towards pro- moting hostilities in Europe. When times are dull at home there is very little that we are suffered not to know about young Emperor . . . THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT. Benevolent Gentleman; WELL, SONNY, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IF I GAVE YOU THIS HALF-DOLLAR? Boy: 'D SAY YOU WUZ A BRICK AN' THERE AIN'T NO FLIES ON YER! William's ear-ache, the probability that his years will be few and that he will make them hot ones. . . . OHN BOYLE O'REILLY, of the Boston Prot, accepts with thanks our offer of Benjamin Butler as his candidate for Minister to the Court of St. James. If Mr. Harrison will appoint General B. when his turn comes, Mr. O'Reilly will undoubt- edly vouchsafe him a meed of praise. There's another man for the place that might suit Mr. O'Reilly as well for the place, and would | comicbooks.com