Life, 1902-04-10 · page 8 of 20
Life — April 10, 1902 — page 8: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Political Satire on the Monroe Doctrine This page satirizes the **Monroe Doctrine** and its modern applications to American politics. The dialogue mocks how politicians invoke this 19th-century foreign policy principle to justify almost any action convenient to their purposes. The text suggests that figures like "Senator Lodge" cynically invoke the Monroe Doctrine to distract the public from domestic issues, keeping citizens focused on foreign affairs rather than their own problems. The lower section contrasts **Gotham** (New York) and **Shekaggy** (Chicago), mocking the latter's supposed cultural inferiority. It jokes that while wealthy New Yorkers paid premium prices for opera, Chicagoans were "silly" enough to laugh at such pretensions, confessing their actual lack of refined taste. The satire targets both elite cultural snobbery and working-class attitudes toward high art.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
306 Lessons in Politics. HAT is the Monroe Doctrine, father?” “The Monroe Do trine is the doctrine FS formulated by President Monroe, expressive of our opposition to the designs of the Holy Alliance.” “What was the Holy Al- liance?" “The conspiracy of some old fogies in Europe, looking to the extension of monarchy by divine right.” “ Does the Holy Alliance still exist?” “Oh, no! It went to pieces long ago.” “Are its designs still enter- tained by anybody?" “By no means. Monarchy by divine right is au exploded theory.” “Then what application has the Monroe Doctrine to affairs of to-day?” “A very important applic tion. It enables practical poli- 8 to fog the issues almost eit may be convenient if purposes. When d mestic affairs get into awkward shape, Senator Lo body who takes himself equally too seriously, has but to become visibly alarmed and call out that the Monroe Doctrine is in danger, and the attention of the people is forthwith diverted from their own business, to the end that they are in a frame of mind distinctly more advanta- Playwright; HOw DO YOU KNOW THE PUBLIC DOKSN'T WANT A PLAY IN WHICH TKUE ART AND DECENCY HAV ¢ THR MOST PROMINENT PART? Manager: MY DBAR SIR, DO YOU SUPPOSE WE HAVE BEEN TEACHIXG THEM TUR OTHER THINGS ALL THNSR YEARS FOR NOTHING? geous to the fulfillment of their appointed duty.” impresario of the age took them to task,in hank you, father.” a public interview, they guffawed coarsely, * You are quite welcome, my son.” Gotham people, on the other hand, were . always ready to pay five dollars per chair per Inferior. performance for grand opera, Whon there UT these two great cities, Gotham | was a prince from abroad in a box, Gotham and Shekaggy, were not in the people were frantic to pay fifty dollars per least alike. * : + chair, or more. Shekaggy people had little of Shekaggy people tried to laugh thisoff, too, the fine artistic feeling. They which was very silly in them. They might gave grand opera the cold better have candidly confessed their in- “OUR HERO WAS DEEPLY TOUCHED.” shoulder, and when the leading _ feriority, since this was quite palpable. comicbooks.com