Life, 1894-05-17 · page 9 of 18
Life — May 17, 1894 — page 9: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 321 **Top Section ("His Iron Constitution"):** The illustrated dialogue satirizes women's suffrage activism. A man defends denying women voting rights by claiming women are inconsistent and emotional—they shouldn't have the "ballot" because they're prone to taking up causes then dropping them. The female respondent argues women deserve equal rights and that the suffrage question should be addressed at the next Constitutional Convention. **Bottom Section ("Important Essentials Lacking"):** A series of dog illustrations accompanies brief comedic dialogues about employment and language ability, appearing unrelated to the suffrage debate above. The humor relies on misunderstandings and unexpected answers in job-seeking scenarios. The page reflects early 20th-century anti-suffrage arguments characterizing women as fickle, while simultaneously presenting their counter-argument for equality.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
* LIFE: devote no more time or energy to the consideration of cases involving ‘breach of promise of marriage,’ ‘ non-support,’ ‘alimony,’ ‘dower,’ and the like?” “We thought Lire was too gallant to suggest such a measure as that.” “So he is, and he only wants to show you how you could fortify your position by better establishing your main argu- ment. You claim that women are as competent as men to take care of themselves, but none of you have strengthened that claim by any hint that you would give up the special coddling that the law provides for your sex. You have for- gotten the similarity that should exist between sauces for HIS IRON CONSTITUTION. 321 geese and for ganders. In fact, you are slightly inconsistent.” “Women have a right to be inconsistent. It’s a privilege of the sex.” “ Right you are. And, bless their souls, LIFE wants them to have it, and every right, privilege, and safeguard that men can throw about them so longas they remain women. More- over, he wants every woman who is forced to it or who so desires, to have the privilege to work at anything she pleases and to receive as much pay for the same work as a man does. It doesn’t seem to him that womanly women are very much in need of the ballot or care very much about using it. The present agitation seems more like one of the fads that fashionable women occasionally take up and drop with equal suddenness, Of course it is a golden opportunity for the professional agitators and notoriety-seekers, but LIFE fears that the sober and clear-headed gentlemen of the Constitu- tional Convention will be less hysterical on the subject than some of its present ardent advocates.” “ Do you mean to call names?” “No, indeed. That is a strictly feminine privilege. But, dear madam, you have been getting your name in the papers for so many years that perhaps you can understand the motives of some of your newest and most ardent apostles, We believe that women should have the ballot some day, and we believe that they will have it after some side issues have been longer discussed; but we also believe that about the next Constitutional Convention will be time for it. That's our answer to your question. Good-bye.” J. S.M. IMPORTANT ESSENTIALS LACKING. OOR MAN: I am hunting for work. Do you think there would be any chance for me to get a job as an L road guard. PHILANTHROPIST: Have you ever been a prize fighter or a bouncer in a saloon ? “I'm afraid they wouldn’t take you.” ILES: MERRITT: No, GILEs: Then, how did you know ? MERRITT: He spoke some. Did he tell you he couldn’t speak French ?