Life, 1904-01-21 · page 1 of 20
Life — January 21, 1904 — page 1: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The main cartoon depicts an elephant (the Republican Party symbol) standing beside a sign reading "Property of the Middletown Club—Not to be mutilated or taken from the building." A small figure cowers nearby. The caption reads: "This elephant is getting shaky" / "Yes, babe. And we are too heavy for that jackass." This appears to satirize Republican Party instability or internal conflict in early 1904, likely related to Theodore Roosevelt's presidency or upcoming election decisions. The "Middletown Club" reference is unclear without additional context. The joke suggests the Republican Party (elephant) is becoming unreliable, and its current leadership is overtaxing or destabilizing it—blaming someone ("that jackass") for the burden.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
VOLUME XLIII. NEW YORK, JANUARY 21, 1904. Entered at the New York Post Office as Second-Class Mail Matter 14, 1904, dea Copsright, 1903, by LIFE PCBLISHING ComPaxy. WHAT NEXT? ‘THIS ELEPHANT IS GETTING SHAKY.” “YES, BABE. AND WE ARE TOO HEAVY FOR THAT JACKASS.” comicbooks.com