Life, 1897-05-20 · page 1 of 20
Life — May 20, 1897 — page 1: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Political Cartoon Analysis: "Too Much of a Bad Thing" (Life, May 20, 1897) This cartoon satirizes the **high tariff policy** affecting American commerce. An older man (likely representing a politician or tariff advocate) force-feeds a sickly child labeled "Sammy" (representing American business or the public) from a spoon marked "HIGH TARIFF." The child protests the excessive dose, saying "SWALLOW IT QUICK, SAMMY," while Sammy responds "NOT MUCH! THAT'S JUST WHAT MADE ME SO AWFUL SICK BEFORE." The satire critiques how protective tariffs, intended to help American industry, instead made the economy ill—and continuing this policy would worsen the problem. The cartoon suggests tariffs were a failed remedy being recklessly reapplied.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
VOLUME XXIx. NEW YORK, MAY 20, 1897. NUMBER 752. Entered at the New York Post Office as Second-Class Mail Matter Copyright, 1997, by MitcHeLt & MILLER prehiAnus SVM. ria 4 Days New City w ncisce, sights TOO MUCH OF A BAD THING, Nurse McKinley: SWALLOW IT QUICK, SAMaty. Sammy: Sov MUCH! THAT'S JUST WHAT MADE ME SO AWFUL SICK BEFORE. comicbooks.com