Life, 1899-04-06 · page 15 of 20
Life — April 6, 1899 — page 15: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This 1910s *Life* magazine page satirizes **Mr. Gerry of Rhode Island**, likely Elbridge Gerry Jr., who ran a children's protection society. The text criticizes his request for exemption from state oversight of his charitable organization, arguing that organizations with "unusual and very extensive powers" need *more* scrutiny, not less—especially given rumors of extravagant spending. The upper cartoon shows a child encountering a large bear (representing the powerful, unsupervised organization), with the caption suggesting naïveté about the "big bear's" true nature. The lower section features caricature busts labeled "Bob" (A Famous Doubter) and "Joe" (A Great Editor)—likely mocking specific public figures who supported or opposed Gerry's exemption request. Without clearer identification, the specific targets remain unclear, though the satire emphasizes accountability in charitable institutions, even—or especially—those with noble missions.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Mr. Gerry of Rhode Island. R. GERRY, who has devoted bimself so long and faithfully to the protec- tion of children, wants to have his Society exempted from the official supervision to which all other chari- table institutions in the State are sub- ject. That is more than should be conceded even to Mr. Gerry. Unusual and very extensive powers have been granted to his Society. It is more fitting that un- usual means should be used to safeguard the public from the misuse of such powers than that the ordinary precautions that the Y laws provide should be abolished. New York has all the autocracy it can carry already. It doesn’t need to provide for any more by statute, and probably as long as Roosevelt is Governor it won't. A. Minor Ursa: 1 sen YOU ARE LOOKING AT THE BIG BEAR. Besides this, there scems to be prevalent a notion that the WOULD! 400 MIND TELLING MS BOWE ETRE SYEMING?: donations to his Society from charitable persons have been . . disbursed, to put it mildly, in an extravagant manner, In ™avagement of charitable trust funds, the principle of not letting the face of such rumors, Mr. Gerry should court investiga- the right band know what the left is doing may be carried too far. tion instead of seeking extra.legal powers to avoid it. In the ——— A Famous Doubter. A Great Editor, LFE'S PANTHEON OF POPULAR PETS. MARBLE STATUES OF UP-TO-DATE GODS, COMPILED BY OUR OWN LIGHTNING CARICATURE CursELER comicbooks.com