Life, 1904-03-17 · page 5 of 24
Life — March 17, 1904 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The top cartoon depicts a woman playing solitaire alone while three men observe from behind—the title suggests she deliberately prefers solitude to male company, a commentary on changing gender dynamics and women's independence. "The First Eviction" references Ireland's historical eviction crisis. The poem and accompanying illustration depict Saint Patrick being evicted from the Emerald Isle, using religious/mythological imagery to protest actual Irish tenant evictions. The accompanying article "Patriots" critiques Ireland's proposal to hire mercenary soldiers rather than rely on citizens' patriotic duty to fight for their country—satirizing the economic and military shortsightedness of this approach. Both pieces address Irish political crises of the period.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
SULITAIRE BY PREFERENCE The First Eviction. tof the snakes in the Emerald Isle, dering why We do wrong when we try to do right uuised at the edge of the sea, aad And turned to Saint Patrick, who stood with a stnile Isaac Anderson, On his face as broad as could be. Patriots. eal us a dirthy thrick, [LAYING resolved to strike off their fetters, the people thin’ gran hired a mercenary soldiery to do what fighticx > wid the at ould crooked stick, might be necessary. The world wondered at this, and e dbriven us out iv the land. Asatte asked; bloatly? “Why do you not enlist the patriots among you who anxious to bleed and die for their country?" “Our resources,” replied the people, frankly, ‘are not sufficient. It will impoverish us merely to fight the good fight. A pension list would bankrupt us.”" © There's manny a man will be dhriven away Moreover, if they let the average patriot make a war From his home whin the rint’s overdue, record, they could not get out of electing him toa great Tn the ve ashion we sarpints to-day variety of offices which he was not fit to hold, to the Have been banished from Treland be you.” prejudice of economical administration. starthed a dangerous custom, ould man 1 eud For in times that’s to come this evie Will sure be ould Ireland's curse. t have done we comicbooks.com