Life, 1899-06-15 · page 15 of 20
Life — June 15, 1899 — page 15: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a satirical cartoon criticizing the McKinley administration's handling of the Philippine-American War and domestic scandals. **Main Figures:** - "Nurse Otis" (likely Secretary of the Navy John D. Long) treats "Uncle Sam" (America) as a patient - The prescription mockingly suggests treating the nation's ailments with "shrapnel" and "cavalry charges"—literal war **Context and Satire:** The cartoon attacks multiple administration scandals: the "Atkinson" conspiracy (a Boston official accused of secretly supplying the Filipino insurgent Aguinaldo), and "Alger" (likely Secretary of War Russell Alger, facing criticism over war management). The text mocks Republican operative Griggs as a spineless enabler who offers platitudes rather than solutions. The satire suggests McKinley's team diagnoses national problems through military aggression abroad while ignoring corruption at home. The final line about sending "the Constitution...to the repair shop to be half-soled and heeled" implies the administration is literally wearing out America's fundamental document.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Nurse Otis: we.., wHaT euaLl 1 DO Now? Uncle Sam: ove uM ANOTHER DOSE OF GHRAPNEL WITO,A MODERATE CHARGE OF CAVALRY, THEN A DAILY INJECTION OF RariD Fine.” Griggsie—as the Passaic boys call him— who discovered, unveiled and baffled Atkinson, the baleful and statistical con- spirator of Boston. Ho remorsolessly revealed the dark designs of tho arch- traitor, and showed that, while ostensibly engaged in making kerosene stoves, Atkin= son was really furnishing three-cont tablo hot dinners to Aguinaldo’s army. You can’t fool Griggs. But it is as counselor and consoler that Griggs shows up best, In tho darkest hour of the beet whitewash function ho found his Chief bowed down with care, worn out unearthing the naked truth. “William,” said Griggs, “be calm; bo brave and determined; keep cool; don't gotintotheSun, Look at Mark! .Courago and scorn written on evory feature, Ub- sorvo John D. Long. Ho keops on quietly making torpedoes and blowing up Atkin- son. Patience, my noble sir, and all will bo well. The caucuses are away ahead yet. Get on to the silent and suffering Alger! What noble patience and resignation!" “Yes,” sighed the Chief; “I admiro Russell and envy him his virtues and graces. I wish I had his patienco—and resignation.” Griggs went out softly, and, going to his bureau, he ordered the Constitution to be sent at once to the repair shop to be half- noled and heeled, Joseph Smith, comicbooks.com