Life, 1904-01-07 · page 15 of 36
Life — January 7, 1904 — page 15: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This satirical page critiques American imperialism and military policy circa early 1900s. **"The Making of a Nation"** mocks the hasty establishment of a new republic (likely the Philippines after the Spanish-American War). The joke: officials adopt a comic strip as their flag design and a cereal advertisement's health rules as their constitution—suggesting the new nation is built on frivolous American commerce rather than serious governance. **"Humility"** sarcastically addresses the killing of "three hundred Moros" (Muslim Filipinos). The author argues Americans hypocritically blame the Moros for their own fanaticism, when conveniently, these deaths serve General Wood's military reputation. The satire suggests America needs humility: we create the very enemies we then fight. **"Paving the Way"** is a brief political joke about a new mayor—unclear without more context, but likely mocking political corruption or empty promises. The top cartoon depicts rural/frontier life with exaggerated scale (the cart appears oversized for the passenger). The bottom illustration shows caricatured faces, labeled as "decorative treatment for an old bachelor's room."
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Sam AT SSAy, POP, WHY ISNT THIS SEAT Latex ENOUGH YOR Mada, TOO? * Breausy, The Making of a Nation. HEY were three minutes procltiming the new re- public, and ten minutes more getting the recog- nition of the great powers. of the world. 3ut the business of providing a flag (da constitution was likely to take nd time was precious. s they counseled together, in this emergency, the waves of the sea cast up a Sunday newspaper. God is good !" exclaimed the pious people, and unanimously adopted the em comic supplement as the design of their flag. Inside the paper they found the advertisement of a malted 1, with rules for living to be a hundred years old, and this they enacted into acon stitution, without one dissenting voice. Humility. HREE hundred Moros were killed.— Cate We have all but blamed the order of Providence, in our impatience with the Moros. Why were these people ever created? we have cried out. Or, if they must be created, why were they made so fanatical? TWAS, MY NOY, SHEE MIGIET WANT TO SET IN FT.” But had the Moros never been created, or were they less fanat where would be found three hun¢ men to kill in battle, just at this moment when General Wood's military fitness is being called in question ? We need to cultivate humility, if we are to pass for a genuinely great people. Paving the Way. “LTS up to the new Mayor, now, to - make himself a record; and I think he won't leave a stone unturned.” “Oh, good gracious, Harry! I'm sure the last Mayor didn't.” ANOTUEN DECORATIVE TREATMENT POR AN OLD BACHELOR'S ROOM—A FREEZE. comicbooks.com