Life — May 30, 1901 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Political Cartoon Analysis: Life Magazine, May 30, 1901 This satirical cartoon critiques **child labor in American industries**. A wealthy, top-hatted capitalist sits contentedly in a baby carriage labeled "Infant Industries," smoking a cigar and holding a whip. A figure (likely representing Labor or the American worker) pushes the carriage. The caption reads: "When will little Tootsey be able to walk alone, Sam?" with the response "Oh, in fifty or sixty years—perhaps." The satire suggests that American infant industries—newly developing manufacturing sectors—are being artificially protected and coddled by the government, while simultaneously exploiting child workers. The "fifty or sixty years" response mockingly implies these industries won't achieve independence for generations, remaining dependent on exploitative labor practices.