Life — August 22, 1901 — page 10: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Political Cartoon Analysis This satirical cartoon from Life magazine (dated 1901, per the signature) critiques protectionist trade policy. The upper panel shows businessmen observing a shield bearing text "OUR INFANT INDUSTRIES MUST BE PROTECTED," beneath which stand two caricatured figures (appearing to represent metaphorical "infant industries"). The satire's point: American industrialists were arguing their businesses needed protective tariffs because they were still "infant industries"—young and vulnerable to foreign competition. By 1901, however, many U.S. industries had grown quite large and mature, making continued claims of infancy absurd. The cartoon mocks this transparent excuse for maintaining high tariffs that benefited wealthy manufacturers while increasing costs for ordinary consumers. The "infants" depicted appear intentionally grotesque, emphasizing how ludicrous the protection argument had become.