Life, 1900-04-05 · page 8 of 20
Life — April 5, 1900 — page 8: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis This page from *Life* magazine features a satirical piece titled "CROMWELL as A Rough Writer: at his memoirs," depicting Oliver Cromwell (the 17th-century English military/political leader) reimagined as a modern newspaper writer or journalist at work. The text on the left is a political speech or monologue criticizing the Vice-Presidency, advocating for "strenuous" youth and robust civic virtue. It references corruption, the Republican and Democratic parties, and warns against false promises of glory leading to the White House. The illustration shows Cromwell-as-writer in what appears to be a newspaper office, surrounded by papers, typewriters, and other workers. The satire likely comments on how historical figures' legacies are rewritten or reinterpreted through modern media and political discourse—using Cromwell as an archetype of forceful, uncompromising leadership being filtered through contemporary American political rhetoric.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
268 T wouldn't be Vice-President, and I took the bull by the horns right off by starting out to boom myself, and I've kept atit ever since. Why, to be Vice-President, @ man must have a tongue as quict as high noon in Phila- delphia, Whoever heard of any man talking himsclf into the Vice. Presidency? Think of astrenuous Vice-President! And now, my hearers, me say a word to you about the strenuous life. Mothers, draw near, and listen, It is not cnough that your boys, as they grow up and learn to Joaf and be impatient, should be simply strenuous. They should be strenuously strenu- ous, In other words, to fight for glory is one thing, but to learn how to reap your re- ward here on earth, where both the Republican party and the automatic syndicates doth corrupt, is another, This is where your Uncle Oliver and I know how to deal the cards. Do not fool yourself with the hoary propo- sition that “the path of glory leads but tothe grave.” The path of glory, sup- plemented by the strenuous life aod constant talking about yourself, may lead to the White House, Nay, it will, it will! And now let me perorate, Since I have been making after-dinner speeches, and telling other people of the ngs I should hate to bave offered me, I have learned to perorate to beat the id, let me say to you that the Major is all right. Mark is allright. [happen to know from experience that Papa Platt is all right, but they are not all the cards in the deck, I am the whole shooting match, [not only believe it mysclf, but it hurts me when others don’t think the same thing. It rubs against the met eae CROMWELL as A RoughWriter inemoirs ! ee aa comicbooks.com