Life, 1904-07-14 · page 7 of 44
Life — July 14, 1904 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The main cartoon depicts "The Democracy of Sport"—a satirical scene outside a groceries and post office where well-dressed gentlemen on horseback are blocking entry. The caption reveals the joke: a boy asks to enter the shop, but a man on horseback refuses, saying he won't move his horse "a moment" and threatens violence ("I don't mind matchin' ye to see who'll hold 'em both"). The satire critiques aristocratic entitlement and hypocrisy: these "gentlemen" claim to embody democratic sporting values, yet behave tyrannically toward ordinary people, physically preventing access to public spaces. The humor lies in exposing how the privileged class's "democracy" is actually authoritarian—they dominate shared spaces without regard for common citizens' rights.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
*LIPEs Mr. Hunterly > Boy (pleasantly): Back from the West. H, long ago ‘Twas Westward Ho! When prairie schooners traced The trackless way To Santa Fé And unknown dangers faced, ‘Thea we could read A scrawling screed On canvas dark with dust, Ia letters dim This legend grim : “WE'LL SEE PIKE'S PEAK OR BUST." But now to-day Another way BOV, HOLD MY HORSE A MosENT. WAL, 1 WAS JUST A-GOIN’ IN THERE SYSELY, BUT 1 DON'T MIND MATCHIN’ YK TO SEE WHO'LL HOLD "RM BOTH, THE DEMOCRACY OF SPORT. The tide of travel turns, And one who stays At home these days A newer lesson learns ; Returning hosts Forget their boasts, But strangely still alike From weary souls This burden rolls : “ Busted,—but saw the Pike.” William Richard Hereford. Duty. HE enactment of an ordinance whereby theatres and steamboats should be made safe as against fire be- 1 WISH To STEP INTO THIS SHOP. ing suggested, the aldermen firmly de- clined to consider it. “Such an ordinance,”’ said they, “would impose an oppressive burden upon enterprise."’ But what if a theatreful or a boat- load of people were to be burned up? “In that case we should order flags at half-mast on all public buildings, of course," said the aldermen, civilly, al- though evidently taking it not in the best part that question be raised as to what their conduct would be touching a plain duty. comicbooks.com