Life, 1893-03-30 · page 13 of 28
Life — March 30, 1893 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes **Richard Croker**, the powerful Democratic boss of Tammany Hall in New York City during the Gilded Age. The cartoon depicts him as a Native American "sachem" (chief), playing on the Tammany Hall organization's use of Native American imagery. The text mockingly "congratulates" Croker on becoming wealthy through politics—sarcastically suggesting he's proved there IS money in political office, contrary to the claim that public service doesn't pay. Life uses ironic praise to expose the corruption and graft that allowed machine politicians like Croker to accumulate fortunes. References to his "stock farm" and "racing stable" (Yorkville Belle, Belle Meade Farm) highlight his luxurious lifestyle funded by political power. The second story, "All Over," is unrelated domestic humor about a husband's shock at his wife's $200 dress.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
207 RICHARD CROKER. IFE takes pleasure in recommend- ing Mr. Astor’s new hotel to the attention of the Hon. Richard Croker, a citizen who has lately given unmis- takable signs of the sort of fiscal plethora which the Waldorf is de- signed to relieve. To be sure, a stock farm or two, and a racing stable, are great helps to a man who has got too much, and have worked admirably in many desperate cases, both in this country and in foreign parts. But the natural profits of Mr, Croker’s calling are so considerable, and he has joined plain-living to acute-think- ing for so many years, that his accu- mulations must form no ordinary pile. As Mr, Astor has helped to take away one of our country’s reproaches, so Mr. Croker has subtracted the un- derpinning from another. Many an American youth has been kept out of public life by the reiterated assurance that there was no money in politics. To have disproved so pernicious an assertion is a good work, for which the owner of Yorkville Belle and the Belle Meade Farm can take to himself full credit, It is diligence that does it, in public life as out of it. Astutely spoke the wise king centuries ago: “* The hand of the diligent shall bear rule, but the slothful shall be under tribute.” There are lots of slothful in New York, and it only takes a very few years for their aggregated tributes to form an effectual barrier between a diligent ruler and want. No doubt Mr. Croker could hire a whole suite at Mr. Astor’s inn for a month, if he chose, and pay his bill. ALL OVER. ‘€7 THINK I learned to love you dear,” he said, “be- cause you always dress so simp- ly. It is comforting to think that my little girl has the right idea about expenditures.” “T[ don’t know, George,” she said, dreamily. “ This gown I have on cost nearly two hundred dollars.” “Two hundred dollars!" he muttered, striving to keep back the tears," two hundred dollars ! Will you excuse m and the next sound heard was the slam- ming of the door as George Plankaway came swiftly forth RICHARD CROKER, THE BOSS SACHEM into the cold air. comicbooks.com