Life — March 22, 1900 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The Workingman to Willie" This 1900 *Life* magazine cartoon contrasts two figures: on the left, a gnome-like character labeled "Free Silver" (a major political issue of the 1890s-1900 era), and on the right, a working-class man with an axe. The caption reads: "Run away, little boy. We are too busy listening to your music now. Three years ago it was different." The satire targets the decline of "Free Silver" as a political movement. Around 1896-1897, Free Silver—the idea of unlimited coinage of silver—had energized workingmen and populist politics. By 1900, it had lost momentum as an issue. The cartoon mocks how workers have moved on from this once-compelling cause, dismissing it as childish noise ("music") compared to their current concerns. The workingman's axe suggests he's focused on labor itself rather than monetary policy.