Life, 1898-07-28 · page 15 of 20
Life — July 28, 1898 — page 15: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes intellectual and political figures debating American honor during the Spanish-American War (1898). **"Keep It Up!" section:** The satire targets Professor Charles Norton of Harvard, who reportedly criticized Americans as lacking honor and moral discrimination. Senator George Hoar publicly defended Americans against Norton's characterization, asserting that duty and honor define American character. Life's editors mock this debate as tedious philosophizing, suggesting both men should publicly continue arguing so Americans can learn about their own national character—the joke being that elite intellectuals are out of touch with practical American values. **The smaller cartoons:** "Don't Cheer" mourns Spanish sailors dying in battle, questioning whether Americans should celebrate victory when enemy combatants are suffering. The hair restorer advertisement joke plays on ironic endorsements common in period advertising satire. The page reflects turn-of-century tensions between intellectual elites questioning American morality and patriots defending national character.
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Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
«Don't Cheer!" “Don't cheer, boys! Those poor devils are dying."—Captain Philip, of the Tezas, ONT cheer! Death blights our victory. Those flaming ships, Spain's colors flying, Aro holls of human agony, And shall men cheer when men are dying? The torture theirs; not theirs the wrong: Poor victims of two natious* sinning! This naked, wounded, burning throng, Graves with our martyred dead are win- ning. Before the smoke of battle breaks, Above the shriek of shells, loud crying My country’s better nature speaks: “O boys, don’t cheer! Those men are dying.” Grace E. Palmer. Keep It Up! T scems to have got around every- where that Professor Norton, of Harvard, in the lowness of his spirits at the outbreak of the Span- ish war, allowed that the Ameri- cans were a trifling people, unable to discriminate correctly between what is honest and what is not, and destitute of a nice sense of honor. These deliverances, having come to the notice of Senator Hoar, have considerably disturbed that venerable statesman’s tranquillity, so that recently, in the course of an address that be made at Clark University, in his own town of Worcester, he took occasion to repeat Professor Norton's injurious re. marks, and to aver thut “it was no such thing,” and to declare that there were two things that Professor Norton was incap able of comprehending, of which one was honor, and the other the American people. The Senator did not specify LIES what was amiss in the Professor’s notion of honor, but averred on bis own account that the vital ingredient of honor was a sense of duty, and that duty was the American people's best hold, and that, as the fresh from-boarding-school young la: dies say, they were “just crazy about it The idea suggests itself that if we were to hear further from Professor Norton and Senator Hoar about honor and the American people and related topics, it would be a relief to the feelings of both venerable and illustrious gentle- men, and exceedingly edifying to all of us. To have Dr. Norton evacuate his mind of all bis fears and sorrows and disappointments about the American people, and then to bave Senator Hoar respond out of his long and comprehen- sive experience with denials, hopes, and 75 comforting inferences and forecasts, would really do good. We should get to know Professor Norton, which is an advantageous experience, and between him and Senator Hoar it would go bard if we did not get to know more about ourselves, and whetber we are, as Dr. Norton seems to feel, a mere scum, or, as Senator Hoar believes, the salt of Earth, The anoouncement of a joint debate up and down the State of Massachusetts between these wise elders would be re- ceived with gexeral elation, Can't you fix it, Major Pond ¢ ATHER: What makes you think you can carn enough to support my daugbter ? Suitor: Well, I've been engazed to her for six months. AN ENDORSEMENT. “ Dear Sir: 1 WAVE USD ONE BOTTLE OP YOUR HAIR RESTORER. STOP IT FROM GROWING !"* SOMETHING, FOR 1 CAN POR HEAVEN'S SAKE SEND