Life, 1903-11-05 · page 21 of 38
Life — November 5, 1903 — page 21: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains early 20th-century American satirical content. The lead article "Somebody's Words" mocks wealthy industrialists and trust monopolies by sarcastically attributing anti-trust rhetoric to them. It references St. Paul, "St. Mark (Hanna)" (likely Mark Hanna, a prominent Republican political operative), and Massachusetts Democrats—treating their words ironically, suggesting the wealthy contradict their own stated principles through actions benefiting banks and corporate interests via tariffs and subsidies. The three comic vignettes below use wordplay and visual humor typical of the era: 1. **"Evidence"**: A judge dismisses domestic violence claims because the victim lacks visible injury—humor from the absurdity. 2. **"Firemen's Ball"**: Wordplay on "old flame" (romantic past vs. actual fire). 3. **"Love's Young Dream"**: A romantic couple's moment interrupted by astronomical ignorance—gentle mockery of sentimentality. The page balances sharp political critique with lighthearted social humor.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Somebody’s Words. AS it St. Paul or U.S. Steel who said to the Ephe- sians : “Shall those ws continue which put the liveli- hood of eighty millions of people in the power of the few, which enable the same hands that control the railroads to control the mines, that control the banks to control the Treasury, that own the people's necessities to own the people's government? The trusts—monopo- lies made by law, entrenched behind a prohibitive tariff, buttressed by subsidies and special rates—plunder our people with the one hand, while with the other they reach for conquest and sell their product cheap abroad that they may sell it dear at home’? And was it St. Mark (Hanna) or Epaminondas who exclaimed : «I despise that hypocrisy which outdoes populism in placing the Treasury money at the service of favored banks and breaks laws to favor Wall Street speculators " Perhaps, after all, it was those Massachusetts Democrats, the other day. People are so careless nowadays in what they say ! Evidence. ‘PHE JUDGE: You say your wife hit you over the head with a plate? Rast Yes, sah. “But your head doesn’t show it.”” “But you done oughter see dat plate.” LEVERTON : For a man who has been in love with ten girls / in three weeks you look pretty well. Dasuaway: Yes, I’ve been getting regular and systematic exercise, “1 MAVE BEEN ASKED TO THE FIREMEN" MASKED BALL, AND f DON'T KNOW WHAT TO IMPERSONATE.” “WHY NOT GO AS AN OLD FLAME?” LOVE'S YOUNG DREAM. She; 1sx't 17 TIME POR Us TO SAY GOOD NIGHT? He: 1 COULD TELL YOU BETTER, DEAREST, IF 1 KNEW WHETUER THAT MOON WAS COMING UP OR GOING DowN. comicbooks.com