Life, 1903-01-29 · page 5 of 20
Life — January 29, 1903 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 87 This page satirizes President Theodore Roosevelt's administration through two sketches: **Top sketch**: Shows Roosevelt's secretaries overwhelmed by competing demands from women's organizations (O.H.D.T.B.I., Temperance groups, and the South Carolina Ladies' Sunday Observance Organization). The joke centers on government being "emphatically by the people"—meaning the President is bombarded by constituent requests. **Bottom section**: The W.U.T.U. (appears to be a women's advocacy group) requests removal of a painting titled "Love and Life" from the White House, calling it indecent. Roosevelt humorously dismisses this, while secretaries struggle with conflicting organizational demands. The satire critiques how special-interest groups pressured the executive branch, suggesting Roosevelt's administration was consumed managing competing public demands rather than governing effectively.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
-LIFE- 87 from the O. H, D. T. B. I., demanding that you submit a report to them, specifying how much alcohol is consumed in the White House h week. Presiv Say no. Hold on—tell them if they will pay the salary of the clerk who draws up the statistics, I don’t mind. (-lséde.) After all, I'm only the servant of the people. (Alowd.) What does O. H. D. T. B. 1. stand for? * Seconp Secretary : ‘ Order of Hearthstone Defend- ers, Temperance Branch, Incorporated.” Presipent: Really? I thought it might mean Old Hens Dying to Butt In."” (Door opens, Euter DOMESTIC.) Domestic: Your Excellency, Mrs, Roosevelt desires to know if it will accord with your con- venience to call upon the Bsmith-Bjones next Sunday afternoon PRESIDENT: certainly. start at three o'clock. ESAS SSS A Tell her we will Tuirp Secretary: Just a moment, Mr. Presi- dent. Here is a notification from the South Caro- lina La Sunday Observance Or- ganization, stating that unless you are willing to conform to the rules laid down by their Society about staying at as - 'T WORRY ABOUT HIM, DEAR. ALL THE WORLD Loves a Lover.” BUT PAPA'S 80 AWPOLLY UNWORLDLY.” Government Emphatically by the People. PHEW. C.-T. U. demands the re wal of the picture from the walls of the White House back to the Corcoran Galery. Daily Paper. Private ¢ of te SIDENT of the United States, His Excellency paces the room while hix secretaries open his mail, Finst Secretary: Mr. President, here is a letter from the W.G. O. A. asking that their representative be appointed to superintend the making of the beds in the Executive Mansion. Presipent: Certainly not. Tell them so. What does W. G. O. A. mean, by the wa: First SECRETARY (consulting letter): General Overseeing Association.”” Presipent: Ha! PCRETARY : —" Women’s LIFE’S FASHION PLATES. And here is one, your Excellency, MAJOR-GENERAL’ UNIFORM, U. 8. ANY, comicbooks.com