Life, 1895-06-20 · page 12 of 16
Life — June 20, 1895 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Life Magazine, 1905: Political Satire on Veterans' Preference This page contains three separate satirical pieces: **Top illustration** ("Harvard and Yale Again"): Shows fantastical airships above a city, likely mocking the competitive rivalry between these elite universities. **"Next to His Heart"**: A romantic joke where a colonel keeps his sweetheart's photograph in a liquor flask—prioritizing drink over sentiment. **"An Inducement"**: Dark humor about serial marriage, with a man joking he's had four wives who are "not alive"—implying he murdered them for money. **"A Rare Example"**: The substantive political commentary. Life *praises* Governor Greenhalge (Massachusetts) for *vetoing* a "Veteran's Preference Bill" that would have exempted Civil War veterans (G.A.R. members) from civil service merit requirements, allowing them to monopolize government jobs regardless of fitness. Life argues veterans deserve payment, but not preferential hiring that undermines competent governance—a critique of cronyism disguised as patriotism.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
1905. HARVARD AND YALE AGAIN, NEXT TO HIS HEART. HE: Do you still treasure my photograph ? THE COLONEL: Dol! I've had it set in my pocket flask. AN INDUCEMENT. “WHY, YOU'VE ALREADY HAD FOUR WIVES!" ‘ BOT THEY ARE NOT ALIVE, DEAREST.” A RARE EXAMPLE. IFE lifts its hat in acknowledgment to. Governor Greenhalge of achusetts, That the Veteran's Preference Bill” = passed both houses of the Legislature over his veto was no fault of his. This bill was designed to set aside the civil “S- service rules, and allow the mem- » | bers of the G. A. R. to grab every- S thing in sight in the way of public preferment, The fitness of the veteran to occupy the place has nothing to do with the case, according to this pernicious bill. As the Boston Hera/d feelingly remarks: “ There is no debt that the State of M setts owes to the veteran soldiers that she has not already paid or is not in a position to pay,” and this might with equal force be said of the whole country. That Gov. Greenhalge is a G. A. R. man himself makes his action all the more conspicuous, for the influence of such a noble band is not calculated, at this late day, to make a man serve his country any better for being one of its members. comicbooks.com