Life, 1889-02-28 · page 12 of 22
Life — February 28, 1889 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "Getting Even" and "The Inauguration Ball" - Life Magazine Satire **The Cartoon (top left):** A caricatured Irish immigrant laborer confronts a woman about unpaid snow-shoveling work. He's dumping her cleaned snow back onto her sidewalk in revenge. The heavy Irish dialect stereotype ("FAITH, SOR," "BEDAD") was typical of period anti-Irish prejudice, though the joke frames the worker sympathetically—cheated workers deserve retaliation. **The Inauguration Ball article:** Heavy political satire mocking the incoming administration's pretensions and regional divisions. References include: - Jabs at Southern politicians claiming Pocahontas descent ("string of wampum") - Western delegates bringing weapons (six-shooters, bowie-knives) - Menu items as political in-jokes: "Cleveland" potage, "Wanamaker" dishes, "Negro-vote" ham - Mocking tokenism toward Black citizens: grudging acknowledgment of their contribution while segregating them outside the Pension building - Sarcastic jibes at Massachusetts politicians and spoils-system opportunists The satire targets Republican hypocrisy about racial equality and regional unity.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
* LIFE « VRrowgowr GETTING EVEN. ““WHY ARE YOU SHOVELING THAT SNOW ON TO THE CLEAN SIDEWALK 2?” “FAITH, SOR, OL CONTHRACTED WID TH’ WOMIN IN TH’ HOU: FOR TER CLANE OFF TH’ SIDEWALK FOR TIN CINTS, AN', BEDAD, WHIN OI FINISHED SHE WOULDN'T PAY ME; AN’, BEGORRA, BACK GOES HER BLOTHY sNow!”” THE INAUGURATION BALL. HE Ball will be held in the Pension building. It will be but a thing of naught, however, compared with the high jinks which the G. A. R. expect to hold there after the Administration has gotten into working order. Guests who come in carriages or on horseback will please not hitch to the front palings. Mr. Jefferson's historic conduct upon a somewhat similar occasion is not to be taken as a precedent. The President’s Virginia cousins, who come in antici- pation of official recognition, will be expected to bring with them a string of wampum in proof of their descent from Pocahontas. The Committee has no desire to interfere with the social customs of any of the sections of our great country—all of which they hope to see represented—but it is preferred that gentlemen from the West and South should leave their six- shooters and bowie-knives in the arsenal, one door east of the cloak-room. At the urgent request of the Chicago ministers, the exer- cises of the evening will begin with a prayer by that great Christian warrior, that American. Havelock, Col.-Eliot F. Shepard, of New York, followed by the reading of a chapter from the Madl and Express. The Ball proper will be opened by the President, assisted by as many of the Cabinet as have dress suits. The idea of having the President begin the programme with a pas seul has been finally abandoned. Recognizing that the event we celebrate has been made possible through the allegiance and devotion of the colored brother—whose equality with ourselves we have so often proclaimed—gratitude and justice alike demand that he should be regarded, and accordingly ample space has been especially assigned to him. This space consists of all that portion of the United States and New Jersey outside of the Pension building. It is hoped that he will make himself perfectly at home. Persons who inadvertently carry off forks and spoons from the supper room are requested, if possible, not to break more than one set. In this no- personality is directed toward a distinguished gentleman from Massachusetts, €x- pected to be in attendance. The Menu is as follows: HUfTRES Little Rocks Blaine POTAGE Cleveland POISSON Boiled Shark Sauce Ta-ta RELEVES Ris de veau, 4 la Wanamaker ENTREES Assorted Sandwiches, in blocks of five Button-holed Turkey, 4 la Americaine Cold Shoulder, office-seeker style Cold Sliced Ham, 4 la Negro-vote PUNCH Protection ROTI Trust Turkey, Monopole style Spring Chicken Fried in Fat PASTRY Floater Island, 4 la Dudlie DESSERT Candied Dates Chestnuts, 4 la Puck. COFFEE MILK TEA Roasted Condensed Solong Cabinet Pudding Tickets, including supper (if you can get any), $5.co. A HARLEM DUDE. Comicbooks.com A CIIPPERYV WITT