Life, 1900-08-09 · page 7 of 20
Life — August 9, 1900 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis This page contains three separate items: a humorous poem titled "Kleptomania" about a woman named Mollie who steals hearts; an essay on "Temperance" by Charles M. Sheldon discussing drunkenness in England versus Kansas; and a brief joke labeled "Necessary" about someone visiting Coney Island. The large illustration on the left appears to be a detailed scientific or naturalistic drawing—possibly of insects or aquatic creatures—rather than a political cartoon. The image's relationship to the text is unclear. The "Temperance" essay advocates for local prohibition enforcement and responsible brewing practices rather than blanket legal prohibition, reflecting early-20th-century temperance movement debates in America.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
107 Kleptomania, At L in the golden summer-time Mollie stole my heart from me ; Now she glories in the crime— Calls it petty larceny. Temperance. } R. CHARLES M. SHELDON, who has been abroad, says that he saw more drunken men in England in a single month than he had seen in ‘Topeka, Kansas, in twelvo years. Very likely; England is, as yet,a bigger place than Topeka, thongh Topeka is growing. Mr. Sheldon probably also saw dur- ing his month’s stay in England more temperate men who were not abstain- ers nor believers in prohibition, than he ever saw in his life before. That was well. If men of his way of think- ing saw more of tne habits and behavior of temperate men who were not abstainers, it would probably enlarge their ideas and do them good. The temperance movement in Amer- ica is so important that it ought not to be weakened by vain attempts’ at state prohibition, or by untruths, or violent and calumnious oratory, or efforts to accomplish the impossible. Eng- Jand drinks too much. So does most of Europe. The fight against rum is a good fight in these times, if so be it is wisely conducted. The restrictive measures that succeed best are local option and high license. Publishing untruths about alcohol in school-books does harm. Forcing prohibition on unwilling communities,especially large cities, does harm. One thing that would greatly lessen the harm done by alcohol would be rigid inspection of drinks, and especially beer. It will be a long time before Mr. Sheldon and his friends distinguish between good ‘beer and bad, and interest themselves in compelling brewers to make good goods out of sound and suitable materials, e i @ a z & z Fa Py ¢ z ry S 2 = w FS = & 6 2 & A PREMISTORIC MOSQUITO Necessary. RIGGS: I’ve just been down to Coney Island in swimming. Gricos: What are you going to do now? “Take a Turkish bath.” [7 takes only one to end a quarrel, comicbooks.com