Life, 1893-08-24 · page 12 of 16
Life — August 24, 1893 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 124 This page satirizes late-19th-century American populist and free-silver advocates, likely from the 1890s economic crisis period. **Top cartoon ("Off His Base"):** Shows a figure tumbling from a pedestal, mocking historical leaders or monuments—possibly referencing populist attacks on established authority. **Main content ("Wind"):** A mock political manifesto from a fictional "National Wind League" that parodies populist rhetoric by substituting "Wind" for "Silver." The absurdist "Whereas" clauses mock free-silver arguments: that unlimited currency circulation solves economic problems, that Eastern financial interests conspire against common people, and that borrowing in worthless currency is a "natural right." **Bottom cartoons:** Depict naive rustics discussing "subduing a nation"—visual mockery of populist voters as foolish and gullible, unable to recognize they're being sold hot air ("wind"). The satire's point: populist economic proposals are literally meaningless hot air, and their supporters are credulous rubes. Life's editors clearly opposed free-silver and populist movements.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
‘SO THAT IS ONE OF THOSE JAYS OF LONG AGO, IS IT? IMAGINE MIM SUBDUING A NATION! AND WHAT SORT OF AN ASS IT MUST Tawwry. A MAVE BEEN TO BOW THE KNEE TO A GUY LIKE THAT. WELL, HE Teer * ~ JUST OUGHT TO BE BURIED FOR A THOUSAND YEARS OR— “OFF HIS BASE.” WIND. *T HE following Resolutions were adopted by the National Wind League in convention assembled : Whereas, Wind is as ancient as human history; and Whereas, Grover Cleveland has formed a gigantic con- spiracy with the corrupt Money Power of the East to destroy the Parity between Wind and Cash ; and Whereas, the Shylocks of the East by the most gigantic crime of the ages have demediumized Wind; and Whereas, the paying of our debts in cash would constitute a“ betrayal of Wind"; and Whereas, Wind is the cheapest medium for developing a new country; and Whereas, there is not enough Cash to do the business of the world; and Whereas, it is one of the Natural Rights of Men to borrow Cash and pay back in Wind; and Whereas, the Cash Bugs of the East wish to diminish the circulating power of Wind and to sanction spoliation; and Whereas, Don Quixote, the great ex-pounder of Wind Mills, said : “ Without Wind there would be no use for Wind Mills.” Whereas, to be without Cash is a far more distressing operation_than the Money Vampires of the East suppose ; and Whereas, American Wind should not be made dependant upon the policies of the frost-bitten and microbe-ridden coun- tries of Europe; and Whereas, our absolute independence of Europe (except for the purpose of selling our products) should be proclaimed ; and Whereas, the only remedy for our present troubles is the circulation of Wind at a free and unlimited ratio to Cash; and Whereas, only a shallow and selfish class would deny to WHAT WAS THAT ABOUT SUBDUING A NATION, HEY? comicbooks.com