Life, 1903-04-02 · page 15 of 36
Life — April 2, 1903 — page 15: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This 1890s Life magazine page satirizes three prominent American political figures standing on pedestals, each labeled with their ambitions or scandals: - **Willie Hearst** (left, military uniform) represents Congressional ambition feeding Presidential aspirations - **David Hill** (center, soldier figure) recently suffered political disgrace despite eloquence - **Platt** (right, holding sensational newspaper) represents cynical political manipulation The poem by Frank Roe Batchelder questions whether readers should envy these men's fame and glory. The satire suggests their accomplishments rest on morally questionable foundations—ambition, oratory masking failure, and manipulative "games." The pedestals themselves appear unstable, implying their positions lack solid merit. The small figure holding a mirror at bottom-right likely represents the artist's self-reflection on ambition itself. The overall message: don't envy political success built on such hollow or corrupt grounds.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
VAR US Ho euete WiGRY MAKES Rlewr There's Willie Hearst, whose elevation To Congress feeds Ambition’s flame His Presidential aspiration Burns i each fibre of his frame; And David Hill, who lately came To grief, despite his oratory ; And Platt, Past Master of the Game.— Say, do you envy them their glory ? Friend, you and I are not to blame If Fame regards them con amore ; The world may greet them with acclaim, But do you envy them their glory ? Frank Roe Batchelder. comicbooks.com