Life, 1903-02-19 · page 5 of 24
Life — February 19, 1903 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**The Cartoon**: "The Sister of the Sitter" depicts women in an interior setting. The caption suggests ironic commentary about a woman named Frances who "always did take well" and "the artist happens to be even more than ordinarily sensitive." **The Articles**: Two short pieces address early 20th-century American economic and political concerns: - "Opportunity" discusses wealth concentration, protective tariffs, and living standards - "Bills" satirizes government dysfunction—presidents and Congress create trust bills while senators appear indifferent, suggesting legislative paralysis around economic regulation **Overall Theme**: The page critiques Gilded Age anxieties: monopolistic wealth, tariff politics, and governmental ineffectiveness at addressing corporate power. The magazine's satirical approach targets both economic inequality and legislative gridlock.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
bare as ich Court icity and a of thee The Sister of the Sitter: om, ves, 11'S A GOOD LIKENESS, BUT YOU KNOW PRANCES ALWays did TAKE WELL. (And the artist happens to be even more than ordinarity sensitive.) Opportunity. 'HE display of wealth in gowns, diamonds and jewelry of all kinds at oficial and Private receptions and entertainments was never 80 great in Wasbington as {t is at present.— Washington Letter, The next witness was a girl of thirteen, who testified that she worked at night, twelve hours continuously, tending ® spinuing machine, for three and one-half cents an hour.—Newspaper Report of the Proceedings of the Gray Commission, The American standard of living is, of course, what the protective tariff ultimately protects. But in the meanwhile, the character of our civilization is opportunity. Twenty years from now that young girl may be living in Washington, and never thinking of going anywhere with less than a peck of diamonds on her. Bills. ‘THE President fumes and frets and causes trust bills to be prepared. Representatives in Congress knit their brows and prepare trust bills. Senators look serious and prepare trust bills. ‘Trust bills to burn, but no legislation in sight. Out West there is some forcible seiz- ing of coal trains by mobs. An effect of legislatures trifling with great emergencies is, finally, the re- sumption of the legislative fanction by the Sovereign. When the people legis late they waste no time with bills. They go about the business rudely, savagely, perhaps, but without circum- location. comicbooks.com