Life, 1892-05-12 · page 12 of 18
Life — May 12, 1892 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 304 This page contains political satire disguised as Scottish folk poetry. "The G.O.P.'s Coronach for Jamie" uses the metaphor of a wealthy old woman mourning her lost son to mock the Republican Party's abandonment of James G. Blaine (the "Jamie" referenced). The poem names specific Republican figures—Harrison, Quay, Wanamaker, and Foraker—as those who failed to support Blaine's political interests. The "auld wife" represents the Republican Party itself, lamenting that despite controlling wealth and power, it has lost its favored candidate. The remaining content comprises light humorous sketches unrelated to the political satire: "Young America" jokes about youth's optimism versus reality, "Her Idea" presents a child's misunderstanding of "tom-tom" drums, and a baseball manager quip about base-stealing. The overall tone targets Republican party politics and leadership decisions of the period.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
304 *LIFE- THE G. O. P.’G CORONACH FOR JAMIE, HE auld wife sat in her easy-chair, A rich auld wife was she ! Though the gowd had faded out of her hair, And never a dimple was bonnie mair, She had gowd a-plenty and jewels rare For, body o' me ! Callants, ye see, She was just the richest auld wife in the warld, The richest woman was she ; And some may cheer, and some may sneer, But a’ will tell, wherever ye speir, She's a very Grand Auld Partie. The auld wife shook her frosty pow, Oa sad auld wife was she ! And the tears went wimplin’ out o' her eye, And her weary auld bosom heaved a sigh, Till mony’s the mon that wondered why She should fash hersel’ And her grief should swell Now hasn't she Trustie Harrison, And hasn't she Craftie Quay ? And Wanamaker, and Gory Foraker, And mony a ferlie Pension-Maker? O why is our auld wife wae?” The auld wife sang in a dowie croon. And wow ! but she greeted sair! And whiles the tears went claverin’ down, And her fause gowd ringlets quivered aboon, Ye caught the lilt o' a feckless tune ; And this was the word, Callants, ye heard : ‘0 wae for my bairn, my bonnie bairn, My swankie laddie 0’ Maine! Wae, wae for the chiel that yerked the bun ! Tak’ back your Benjie Harrison, And gie me Jamie Blaine!" FL B.G. YOUNG AMERICA. He (about to graduate): IN THE BRIGHT LEXICON OF YOUTH THERR’S NO SUCH WORD AS FAIL, She (a little older); No, IT ISN'T A SLANG WoRD. HER IDEA. ITTLE ELSIE: Why-ee! How funny ! MAMMA. What is it, dear ? Este: I was thinking of what you read last night about the wild people in Africa beating on their tum-tums till they could be heard for miles. MAMMA: The word is “tom-tom,” deary. What did you think it meant ? Esi£: [ thought it meant their stomachs. Visitor to B. B. Grounds in the Morning: WaT iN THE ENELOPE: Have you seen Jack Dashing lately ? WORLD 18 THAT MAN DOING ? Pp : y g lately ? Manager; THAT'S RAFFERTY, THE CHAMPION BASE STEALER, PERDITA: About two weeks ago, rae He's SOMEWHAT TENDER YET AND 1S GETTING HIMSELF IN TRIM PENELOPE: Well, when you see him again remind him FOR SLIDING TO BASES. that we are engaged, will you dear ? comicbooks.com