Life, 1894-04-12 · page 12 of 14
Life — April 12, 1894 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Life Magazine Satire Explained This page contains two separate satirical pieces: **Top cartoon/dialogue**: Paul Dana, apparently a New York Park Commissioner, explains his resignation to *Life* magazine. The satire targets political corruption: Dana claims he was "a minority of one" fighting against associates who used office for personal gain and their backers' benefit rather than public good. When *Life* expresses shock that such corruption exists in New York, Dana sarcastically suggests they read recent park improvement scandals. The joke is that idealistic public service is impossible when surrounded by self-interested politicians—Dana couldn't compete because he didn't profit from the position. **Bottom cartoon/dialogue**: A social satire about dinner etiquette. A gentleman (Reggy Westend) is told he must escort the unattractive Mrs. Farris rather than the prettier Miss Purdy, because married women "are used to being neglected." The humor lies in the brutal honesty: marriage = acceptance of indifference, making Mrs. Farris a safer, more resigned companion than an unmarried woman who might expect attention.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
‘*TTELLO! Is this Lire?” Yes. Who is it “Paul Dana, Did you see that, I had resigned from the Board of Park Commissioners?” “Cert. Lire reads the Sw—all except the Cleveland editorials and the stuff in diamond type.” “TI want to tell you why I did it.” “Go ahead. This is our busy day, but we've always got time to find out why an office-holder resigns an office.” Sympathetic Steward : Very Sick Passenger: LIGHTS BOTHER VE, MUM? N-no, I THINK IT’S MY LIVER. “In the first position——” “Oh, that's the reason, is——" “No. You know I'ma busy man. It takes most of my time to keep father and Laffan from sending the Su to the bow-wows.” “ Whew ! that zs a job.” - “ Well, [ took office because I thought I could do some good for the people.” “ Poor boy!" “My associates are there to do all the good they could for themselves, their friends and their political backers.” “Why, Mr. Dana, you must be mistaken, couldn’t be true in New York city.” “Tf you don’t believe it look up my record and sce the fights I made.” “ Why didn’t you stick to it?” “That's what I wanted to tell you, dear Lire. I was a minority of one. All the fighting fell on my shoulders and all the emoluments to my associates.” “Yes, but you were fighting for glory and your fellow-citizens.”” “That's all right, but glory isn’t a square meal, and my fellow-citizens don’t care a continental anyway. 1 don’t get my living in politics and 1 can’t compete with those who do.” “ Do you mean to say then that the Board of Park Commissioners, which used to be considered an hon- orable body, composed of honorable men, has become an ordinary, vulgar organization of plundering poli- ticians ?” “You can read. Doesn't the handling of recent improvements look that way?” “Precisely. But as we remarked before, Mr. Dana, this is our busy day and you'll have to excuse u Good-bye.” SSM. place you know it wasn't a salaried That OSTESS: Of course the dinner is given for Miss Purdy, but I can’t let you take her in because you never will take the trouble to be agreeable except fora pretty woman, REGGY WESTEND: Whom do I take in, then ? Hostess: Mrs. Farris. REGGY WESTEND: But she’s uglier than Miss Purdy. Hostess: I know that, but she’s married and used to being neglected. comicbooks.com