Life, 1896-10-29 · page 3 of 18
Life — October 29, 1896 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 722 **"A Limit" (top left):** A satirical poem about root beer prohibition. The W.C.T.U. (Women's Christian Temperance Union) had declared against root beer, which the poem mocks—the speaker laments being unable to enjoy even this non-alcoholic beverage due to temperance movement overreach. **"A Martyr to the Cause" (right illustration):** Shows what appears to be a schoolboy being disciplined, captioned about a teacher reporting the boy wasn't at school. The satire suggests overzealous enforcement of standards. **Bottom political commentary:** References McKinley-era economic policies, suggesting that prosperity won't return through betting on McKinley's promises, but rather through restored confidence and capital movement—a critique of post-election economic optimism. The page critiques both temperance extremism and political-economic naïveté.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
VOLUME XXVIII NUMBER 722 A LIMIT. The W. C. T. U. has declared against root-beer.—Datly Paper, LADIES fair, desist, I pray! You know not what you do. You must have viewed a mouse the day Root-beer, you did taboo. Of rum I could not touch a drop, And champagne was as bad. To gin I had to puta stop— Root-beer was all I had. I've felt its subtle poison steal Up to my eager brain ; And now to know I cannot feel Its deadly power again ! To know cach morn as I awake With system out of gear, That I no more may hope to take My cocktail of root-beer ! This is too much! If I must drag Myself intemperate down, O, ladies, on a root-beer jag Pray let me paint the town. Tom Masson. VAGUE. ACK: What do you think of Scribbler’s new book ? Rossins: I haven't formed an opinion. “‘You must have been reading the criticisms.” Tt! poor man buys his books to read; the rich man is a book collector, A MARTYR TO THE CAUSE. “YOUR TEACHER TELLS ME YOU WERE NOT AT SCHOOL YESTERDAY. NOW, YOUNG MAN, YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO GET.” Bob (firmly): 1 DO. POP; AND I AM WILLING TO BE LICKED ANY DAY FOR A CIRCUS PARADE LIKE THAT. A CHRISTIAN should not only forgive his enemies, but, when the occa- sion arises, he should forgive his friends, TH prospects that prosperity will be restored in this country by the payment of bets won on McKinley is clouded by the reluctance of the Bryan hosts to give their hopes a financial backing. Money promises to be easier after election, but the relief will be due to the restoration of confidence, and not to the fact that large amounts of capital have changed hands. comicbooks.com