Life, 1889-04-04 · page 5 of 20
Life — April 4, 1889 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "The Inauguration" - Life Magazine, March This page satirizes President Grover Cleveland's inauguration (referenced in the text as occurring March 4th). The central circular design features snakes arranged in a spiral pattern, labeled "The Inauguration," clearly using serpents as a visual metaphor for political deception or duplicity. The surrounding decorative panels reference contemporary political issues: "Cuba" and "Cuttensack" appear on the left margin, while "The Struggle" and "The Pig-Puzzle" appear on the right, suggesting multiple controversial policy matters facing the administration. The text mocks Republican resistance to Cleveland's policies, particularly mentioning difficulty with "Republican pigs" and references to Patrick's "signal victory...in his battle with the serpents," likely comparing political struggles to mythological combat. The overall satire presents the new administration as morally serpentine and politically problematic.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
MARCH has witnessed the usual quad- p rennial metamorphosis at the Na- tional Capital, and Benjamin sits in the |§ seat of Grover. Perhaps on the 4th of arch, for the first time since the heay- s and the earth were created, the rain id not fall alike on the just and the un- | ist_ in Washington, for the unjust [° marched under the down-pour in the pro cession, while the just looked on from sheltered windows, or from under their umbrellas on the sidewalks. OF course, there are plenty of men who prefer to be in the shoes of Harrison rather than those of Cleveland, and yet there are others who might consider that it is just a trifle more pleasant to loaf in the tropics during the bleakness of spring, rather than to engage all the faculties of mind and body in the hopeless task of getting all the Republican pigs into the n. VER on the Green Isle the new St. Patrick has achieved a signal victory E| in his battle with the serpents of English misrule, The time must be short, now, before Parnell’s complete triumph is ac- complished. comicbooks.com