Life, 1901-07-25 · page 1 of 20
Life — July 25, 1901 — page 1: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine, July 25, 1901 **Main Cartoon Caption:** "Elephant: Why do you shoot at me and not at my enemy, the ass? 'Because, at present, you are more of an ass than he.'" **Interpretation:** This is a political allegory using animals to represent political parties and figures. The elephant symbolizes the Republican Party (its traditional symbol). The cartoon critiques Republicans for attacking fellow Republicans or allies instead of targeting actual Democratic opponents (the "ass," the Democratic Party's symbol). The satire suggests Republican infighting or misplaced aggression—they're wasting energy fighting their own rather than focusing on the opposition. This likely reflects internal Republican party tensions from the McKinley era (1901), possibly regarding imperial policy, tariffs, or leadership disputes. The ornate left border contains decorative vignettes typical of Life's visual style.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
NEW YORK, JULY 25, 1901. NUMBER 977, Entered at the New York Post Office as Second-Class Mall Matter, Copyright, 1900, by Lirx PUBLISHING ComPaNY. Etephant: wy po you soot AT ME AND NOT AT MY ENEMY, THE ass? “BECAUSE, AT PRESENT, YOU ARE MORE OF AN ASS THAN HE.”