Life, 1899-04-20 · page 6 of 20
Life — April 20, 1899 — page 6: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Explanation of "Little, but Oh!" - Life Magazine Page 338 This satirical article criticizes J.J. Little's appointment as President of the Board of Education. The text attacks Little as his "own worst enemy"—someone well-intentioned but intellectually limited, unable to think clearly. The main cartoon depicts a poor woman with children in squalor, captioned about a ten-cent piece, illustrating the gap between Little's educational aspirations and actual social conditions. The page mocks Little's appointment as undeserving and suggests it reflects broader corruption in New York civic institutions. A secondary joke references Theodore's (likely Theodore Roosevelt) wife Mrs. Hardscrabble criticizing wealthy philanthropists' conditional giving to debating societies, implying patronizing charity rather than genuine social improvement.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Little, but Oh! WAVE of general indignation—blended with incre- dulity—followed the indictment for criminal libel against Messrs. Henry Holt & Co,, inspired by one J.J. Little, Lrre felt it his duty to investigate the matter, and to discover if the now famous Little possessed that combination of malice and folly his action seemed to indicate. We find a gross injustice has been done this man. He is his own worst enemy. He means well, ina nebulous, self-com- placent way, but his mental machinery is such as to prevent a clear comprehension in his own mind as to ‘¢ where he is at.” That he should be described as ‘a fine old educational mas- todon" is unfair to him—and to the mastodon. For the mastodon, as we know him by reputation, was not charged with venom, Neither was he handicapped by the iron-bound complacency that so often lays hold upon a vain, half-educated man, And, surely, no self-respecting mastodon could join hands with an Asa Bird Gardiner in such a joke on justice! In fact, the prevailing impression among the bettcr class of citizens seems to be that the vindictive but short-sighted Little was likened to the wrong animal. That he should be appointed President of the Board of Edu- cation is not to his discredit. We should look to those who chose him, If Bob Fitzsimmons suddeniy became Bishop of this diocese it would be obviously unfair to blame him for a Dra shite! = eT i The Lady (aside): 17 MAY BE ALL RIGUT, BUT DIS 18 DE FIPTIE MAN WOT'SPCRPOSED TO ME SINCE I FOCND DIS TEN-CENT PIECE. OUR NEW MINISTER TO ENGLAND. reasonable enjoyment of the prize. This Little appointment was merely another of those stupefying emanations from Tam- many Hall that cause the conservative citizen to gasp, then bow his head in prayer. Apropos of which, a distinguished scholar recently remarked : Man wants not Little here below, Nor wants that Lite long. However, J.iFz continues to hope that this complacent per- son may outlive his present reputation. In the meantime, it is painful to realize that a house like that of Henry Holt & Co. is at the mercy, in any particular, of such assailants as the vin- dictive Little and the impossible Gardiner, «7 HEODORE,” said Mrs. Hardscrabble, looking up from the paper, “I see that a New York banker bas given three thousand dollars to the Princeton Debating Society. How ridiculous! You don’t have to give women money to learn how to talk.” “*No,” responded Mr. Hardscrabble, feelingiy. ‘‘I’ve noticed it’s when you don’t give them money that they do their best talking.”