Life, 1905-01-12 · page 9 of 20
Life — January 12, 1905 — page 9: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The main cartoon, credited to Slawson, depicts President Theodore Roosevelt as a grotesque demon-like figure presiding over three smaller, distorted men labeled "A Rogers Group." The accompanying letter criticizes Roosevelt for appointing fewer Black men to office than his predecessor, contradicting his reputation as a reformer. The cartoonist argues this undermines Roosevelt's claim to be a "refined and scholarly gentleman" and that such caricatures keep alive divisive racial questions. The satire targets Roosevelt's hypocrisy: while presenting himself as progressive and honorable, his actual policies disappointed civil rights advocates. The grotesque rendering of the President suggests moral corruption beneath his civilized image.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
A Letter. T° THE EDITOR OF LIFE, New York City. De Ihave been a subscriber to LiFe for many years, and lessness in attacking evil, but my attention has just been called to the vulgar cartoon on page 641, which Tenclose, Had this been seen you would not have had a renewal of ways admired its fear- my subscription, and would have lost that of several of my friends, and doubtless very many others, Wit can safely employ ridicule and descend to the vulgar only when in con- demnation of vice or weakness, but the whole spirit of this cartoon is a disgraceful lie, Mr, Roosevelt, our President, whom it attempts s known of all intelligent men to ed and scholarly gentleman, His. to ridicule, be ar chivalric courtesy to a distinguished citizen, representing some seven million Americans, aman who has been honored by scholars abroad, even supping with re is travestied as a move towards social equality since Mr. Roox thas appointed fewer colored men to office than his predecessor, fer to that incident. Tam you must only notof the Pre personally, and honor him, as all do who dent's party, but I know him know him. Twas born and educated in the South, surrounded by negroes, The worst feature of such cartoons is that they tend to by the way, proved my friend Judge Parker's Burch- localities, You insult a natu- loyal race, with many estimable keep alive the race question, which ard in mai rally docil qualities. None of us in the South forget the care they took of the wives and children Jeft il War, Not a single case of outrage reported of any kind, in many localities the able-bodied wh practically all in the army, It is not chiv ric to ridicule them, ‘The pub at home during the C hough es were tion of such cartoons “is worse than a crime; it is a blunder.” T ~ President was elected by more Dr, Monk: GO AND SEE A PLUMBER AT ONCE! YOU DON'T WANT A DOCTOR, than two and a half millions majority of the American people, who will naturally resent such wanton disrespect In co: lusion, I will add that you will find cst en of all parties. My friends, Mr. Cleve- land, Mr. Carlisle, Judge Parker or Judge O'Brien, for instance, will all endorse me, and approve what Ihave said what [ have said will be endorsed by the Trusting to see no more such outrages upon decency, I will welcome the weekly coming of Lire; ask that you stop the paper, You may keep the subscription for herwise Iw this year, since if you persist in such a course you will need that, and many times as much, to maintain you, Lam, very respectfully, ALR. Farguitar. York, Pa., DECEMHER 23, 1903. Our correspondent's letter fills us with a deep concern ; not so much for ourselves and our other subscribers, a SLAwSON SCVLPT- for the writer. The comprehension of many things in Lire d of humor. Without that sense of humor innumerable jokes and pictures will appear unjust and pointless, In interpreting the drawing in q tion as a slur upon the President and upon the whole colored ra ands a sense pur corre- spondent displays considerable ingenu- ity; and we are not sure that he is wise in continuing his subseriptic Lire, with its temptations to fu bitterness of spirit. to rther USTOMER : Look here, can’t you paint up the bottom of my auto and make it look more presentable ? AGENT: What for? “Well, that’s what I have to gaze at most of the time.” comicbooks.com