Life, 1889-12-12 · page 5 of 16
Life — December 12, 1889 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 329 **The Main Cartoon ("A Dead-Lock"):** This political cartoon depicts three figures in a tug-of-war with a rope, suggesting political deadlock. The caption references the Civil Service Commission presenting evidence to the President that Mahone's Old Dominion Republican League violated laws regarding political assessments. The President reportedly refused to prosecute. The "dead-lock" visualizes the stalemate resulting from this inaction—competing political forces locked in conflict with no resolution. **The "Open Postals to Prominent People" Section:** This satirical feature presents humorous fake letters. They mock public figures through invented correspondence, including absurd directives like threatening Siberian exile. The format parodies actual correspondence while commenting on contemporary political and social figures' quirks or misadventures.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
A DEAD-LOCK. NY days have passed since the Civil Service Commission laid before the President the evidence showing that Mahone’s Old Dominion 4 Republican League had violated the law against political assessments, but the President has not yet ordered the Attorney-General to prosecute the accused, OPEN POSTALS TO PROMINENT PEOPLE. I. SIGNAL SERVICE OFFICE, } New York, Dec. 1, 1889. WasuincTon, D. C., Dec. 2.) My Dear Wanny: MAYOR OF CHICAGO: Go home at once and all will be forgiven. Dear Sir: THE Pustic. The present outlook for ‘92 is that the weather in New York and vicinity will be /a¢r with intense cold il in Chicago and the West. : Yours, GREELY. Winpsor, Nov. 1, 1889. Dom PEDRO, Esq.: Carlyle Smith, Dear Dom: - = = ———= If you get there before I do, tell them that I'm coming too. Yours ever, VICTORIA REGINA GUELPH. Dec. 1, 1889. My Dearovitch Czar: Whenski are you going upovitch? R. S. V. Peski. Yours, DYNAMITOWSKI. Dec. 3, 1889. Dear Dynamitowske : 1 don’t know, I may go at any moment. My Major-Domo will escort you to Siberia to-morrow. z Yours, First Female Spirit: Wuy ARE You UNHAPPY?) WHY DO You ALEXANDROVITCH, WEEE?) = 7 Second Female Spirit: LOOK AT THE INSCRIPTION ON MY TOMB! Winter Palasowski. THEY'VE MADE ME A YEAR OLDER THAN I REALLY was! OH, I SHALL NEVER KNOW WHAT REST MEANS! ~ comicbooks.com