Life, 1904-09-22 · page 5 of 20
Life — September 22, 1904 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The main cartoon illustrates "The Composite Roosevelt and His Names," a satirical piece about Theodore Roosevelt's complex public identity. The image shows an adult (likely representing Roosevelt in one of his roles) speaking with a young boy in a "Home Sweet Home" setting. The caption jokes that Roosevelt should be called different names depending on context: "President Roosevelt" when discussing policy, "Colonel Roosevelt" when referencing his Rough Rider past, and "Doctor" for his writing career. The satire mocks how Roosevelt's multiple personas and accomplishments made him difficult to categorize simply. The accompanying text discusses automobiles and locomotion—contemporary concerns—suggesting Roosevelt's multifaceted nature mirrors broader American complexity of the era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The Composite Roosevelt and His Names. NE of the neighbors has been +- taken to task for calling our Chief Executive ‘t Colonel Roose- velt."” ‘The President,” says the critic, ‘isthe President. Call him that, or call him President Roose- velt.”” But the matter is not so easily settled as that. Our present Chief Executive is a highly composite entity, including a considerable /, group of individuals, He is: The President ; ‘The Republican candidate ; Colonel Roosevelt, late of the Rough Rider Regiment ; Theodore Roosevelt, writer of books; Dr. Roosevelt, LL. D., Harv., 1902. When you speak of the President, he is President Roosevelt ; when you speak of the individual citizen, he is Colonel Roosevelt ; when you speak of the au- thor, you give him his Christian name, and call him Doctor if you like. But when you speak of the Presidential candidate, you may call him anything that is not actionable and which your manners permit. Presidential candi- dates have no special claim to be treated with respect. President Roosevelt and Colonel Roosevelt, the candidate, are distinct individuals. One is the occu- pant of a post of the highest dignity, and to which respect is due; the other is merely a gentleman running for office. It is a matter of taste—your own taste—what you call the candidate. Yet if you care to be advised, we say don’t call him ‘*Teddy,"’ unless you have taken out a poetic license. EAR LIFE: Some day you may wake to the fact that, while you are earnest in leading the crusade against automobiles, you are not averse to taking money from their manufacturers ; witness your advertise ments in your issue of September 1, 1904: Oldsmobile, Pope Toledo, Pope Hartford, Pope Tribune, and Cadillac. Now crawl in a clever editorial, for that is why I read you. Sincerely, One Who Cannot Afford an Automobiie. Our correspondent is in error in assuming that Lire is conducting a crusade against automobiles. These ‘‘hippogriffs,” as Maeterlinck is pleased to call them, are useful in- so ce | oat Swtty Hertz | | TRUTHFUL, IF NOT POETICAL Mrs, Angery: TweRE, IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. Bertie: struments in the hands of sane experts, and their American makers deserve great credit in bringing them, within a comparatively short period, to such mechanical perfection. . The steam locomotive is also a useful instrument. Confined, as it is, within certain limits and run by men who are rigidly required to pass a strict exami- nation, not only in its intricacies, but with regard to their own habits, it has been a great agent for conducting our modern affai If steam locomotives were generally intrusted to reckless young millionaires, however, and if these reckless young millionaires were permitted to take them off the rails and run them about the country, to the dis- comfort and danger of everybody, even this condition could hardly be worse than we are confronted with by the automobiles In the hands of a responsible person, the motor car need not necessarily be an offense. Butit frequently happensthat the average chauffeur is not overladen BERTIE, I'M SORRY TO HAVE TO PUNISH YOU, BUT YOU'RE THE WoRST Boy YES, MA, 1 SEEM TO TAKE THE PALM, ALL RIGHT, FOR BEING BAD. with high-class intelligence. On the other hand, the average man of wealth is apt to assume that he can learn in a few lessons what is really more difficult for a locomotive engineer to learn in months; and when added to this we have the apparent indifference of the law, and the assumption of a great number of the owners of motor cars that they can do pretty much as they please, it is no wonder that the public protests. Lire. sincerely hopes that the time is not far distant when the actual owner of a motor car that is run regardless of therights of others shall be promptly thrown into jail, and kept there until he has had time to think it over—or longer. Editor of Live. Chronic. ‘ Hes your husband gotten used to his motor car?” “Oh, yes. He swears at it automatic. ally now." comicbooks.com