Life, 1896-06-11 · page 7 of 20
Life — June 11, 1896 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "Light at Last!" - McKinley on the Money Question This page from *Life* magazine satirizes President **William McKinley** addressing the financial crisis through a letter to the editor. The top cartoon depicts McKinley as a figure juggling money and construction materials, suggesting he's struggling to balance economic policy. The letter itself is a mock-serious piece where McKinley apparently claims to have solved America's monetary problems—a reference to the contentious "money question" (gold standard vs. free silver debate) that dominated 1890s politics. The bottom cartoon shows a large crowd of people arriving at what appears to be McKinley's residence, with dialogue suggesting they come "every year" expecting hospitality he cannot provide—satirizing broken campaign promises or unfulfilled expectations regarding economic relief.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
> LIFE: live and move in the present moment. The new poets— Watson, Davidson, Gale, Alice Meynell, Yeats—are here given that full appreciation which is the largest part of a contemporary poet's reward. All of the volumes, except Mr. Ma- bie’s, have essays on Stevenson, each revealing the tremendous influence that he had on writers of widely dif- fering taste. Meredith, as poet and novelist, also comes in for the enthu- siastic appreciation of disciples rather than critics. Droch. LIGHT AT LAST! McKinley Declares Himself On the Money Question. To the Editor of Lire. Dear SiR—I am well aware that the proper solution of the financial problem is the question of primat importance now before this country. Many Eastern newspapers have ac- cused me of being a silverite, while Western journals are untiring in their efforts to make me out a gold bug. No honest man can be both these things. And I say now, and I say it here in the columns of your paper and over my own signature, to echo in trumpet tones from ocean to ocean, unequivocally, and with no attempt at prevarication, that I al- ways have been, now am, and intend to remain whatever I consider for the best good and future welfare of Yours very truly, WiiiamM MCKINLEY. The above letter is not yet received, BUILDING TERMS, FLOORED WITH A HARD-WOOD FINISH. but as tt may arrive at any moment we obey the dictates of Amerwan journalistic enterprise and lose no time in printing it. HOW THEY WOULD HAVE MISSED HIM. R. RICHARD HARDING DAVIS was one of the handful of Americans who saw the Czar crowned. It is well that he should have been there, for he can tell a good story about any show he sees, and any show at which he is present is a bigger and better show, and better worth describing, than it could have been without him, The report that after the ceremonies Mr. Davis tried on the crown and found it three sizes too small is probably a fake born of the jealousy of the other newspapermen, r— “LAM SORRY, GENTLEMEN, BUT I CANNOT ACCOMMODATE YOU. ““NoW DON'T SAY YOU DID NOT EXPECT US. YOU KNOW WE COME EVERY YEAR.” comicbooks.com