Life, 1897-11-04 · page 13 of 20
Life — November 4, 1897 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This cartoon satirizes Presbyterian church leaders ("Synods") attempting to revoke the liquor license of Princeton University's inn. The image shows two men in formal dress; the caption depicts a student asking a companion how he got home drunk the previous night, receiving the answer "on your hands and knees, sir." The article argues the Synods' opposition is counterproductive. While acknowledging that alcohol isn't beneficial for students, Life contends that a publicly visible, regulated inn actually *encourages* moderation better than driving drinking underground into private clubs beyond oversight. The satire mocks the Synods' "mistaken zeal"—their well-intentioned but naïve belief that strict prohibition will work, when practical experience shows supervised public establishments serve a legitimate purpose in managing student conduct.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
377 Mistaken Zeal. HA to the voices of the Presbyterian Synods re- viling Princeton University be- cause of the Princeton Inn. The inn has a liquor license, and rum of various hues and intensities is dispensed there. The Princeton students go_ there, and sometimes drink there. Everyone knows it, even the Princeton faculty. It could not happen un- less the faculty con- nived at it. They do connive at it, and some of the profes- sors even signed the petition for the inn’s license. This utterly scandalizes all the Synods. They would have theinn’s license withheld. They would compel every visitor to Princeton to bring his liquor with him or go without. They would bring about the establish- ment at Princeton of private clubs under nooversight, in place of a public inn where every man’s conduct is observed. Intoxi- cants do college boys very little good, and the Synods’ opposi- tion to them is com- prehensible, but gen- eral abstinence in a great university cannot be induced. Moderation can be encouraged, and that the Princeton Inn accomplishes, be- cause it is a public place, and because it is to the interest of every man who goes to it to guard its reputation and pre- vent the abuse of its privileges. It is a HOW DID I GET IN LAST NIGHT, James?” good inn, and serves ““ON YOUR HANDS AND KNEES, SIR." a good purpose. Let it alone, Synods. comicbooks.com