Life, 1894-06-21 · page 5 of 14
Life — June 21, 1894 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Life Magazine Page 399: Political Commentary and Dog Jokes **Top Section - Dog Cartoons:** Four sequential panels show a well-dressed man attempting to straighten a dog's tail for a portrait. The humor derives from the dog's resistance and the man's futile efforts—a commentary on appearance versus nature. **Center Cartoon:** A street vendor selling oranges to children, with dialogue about whether the oranges are "good" or asking "How kin I tell till I suck 'em?" This plays on working-class dialect and consumer skepticism. **Main Text Article:** Discusses American political and economic anxieties—mentions Grover Cleveland, Benjamin Harrison, business depression, and concerns about potential successors. References threats from "John Wanamaker" and "Russell McKee," expressing worry about future leadership capacity. **Bottom Joke:** A brief domestic exchange about baking. The page reflects 1890s-era political uncertainty and economic concerns.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
* HE WOULD MAKE A GOOD LOOKING POINTER IF HIS TAIL WAS ONLY STRAIGHT.” “Now, LITTLE ONE, WHAT WOULD you say IF I WERE TO GIVE YOU THESE, WOULD YOU SAY THESE /S GOOD ORANGES OR THESE ARE GOOD ORANGES?” “How xin I TELL TILL I suck 'em 2?" HE world at large seems to be in the dumps. From far-off India and Ceylon come tales of business depression that quite equal our own sixty-cent wheat and rapidly disappearing Treasury bal- ance. All this is coincident with the seventeen-year locusts and increased activity among the sun-spots. From which it is easy to argue that the only possible successor of Grover Cleveland is that distinguished pension-distributer and grand- father, Benjamin Har- =—————. rison, of Indiana. This is a_ serious question, Are the people of the United States in any condi- tion to stand four years more of Russell Harrison and Baby McKee, with the ever-threatening possibility of John Wana- maker looming up in the near background? We trow not. And then again when we think of the confirmed ability of a large number of the American people to do the wrong thing, we fear that even this woe may be visited upon us for our sins. ATHER: Tommy, what's your mother baking—a cake? Tommy: Can't tell yet. It isn’t done.