Life, 1905-07-13 · page 17 of 26
Life — July 13, 1905 — page 17: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page mocks wealthy industrialists' self-serving philanthropy through multiple pieces: **"Philanthropy"** (main article by Agnes Repplier): Satirizes Andrew Carnegie's conditional charitable giving. Carnegie offers to fund libraries *if* communities raise matching funds—essentially asking poor citizens to subsidize a billionaire's generosity. The article sarcastically suggests Carnegie should fund philanthropy alone rather than extracting labor and donations from those with far less wealth. **"Ballroom Philosophy"** (caption): A cynical metaphor comparing romantic relationships to waltzes—nothing meets expectations, someone always stumbles, and even when circumstances align, "it is the wrong man." This reflects period skepticism about life's promises. **Bottom section**: References John D. Rockefeller's "tainted money" (from exploitative business practices) and clergy defending him. It quotes the prophet Micah sarcastically—suggesting Rockefeller's money cannot buy divine favor. **Lower cartoon**: Shows two women gossiping, establishing social commentary through everyday dialogue. The page collectively critiques Gilded Age billionaires who demand public participation in their "generosity" while retaining massive fortunes.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
-LIFE- 59 At Forty. FRENCHMAN in a brilliant sortie, —Or is the word pronounced sortie ?— | Says that a man arrived at forty, If not a fool is a physician, j Alas, for logical precision | Cty I know a man who is all three; Physician, forty, fool is he. Philanthropy. 4 T would be a great comfort to some impoverished citizens in the United State: Mr. Carnegie would either give his benefactions outright, or would refuse to give them at Kind hearts feel the limitations of their penury when are asked too often to please assist a billionaire in his. j charities. It is not that we are reluctant to lend him a helping hand. Heaven forbid! But sometimes we are un- ble. And sometimes we wonder if he really requires our | aid. | It is noble in Mr. Carnegie to wish that every institution in the land should have all the books it needs. We wish | so, too, for that matter. Sometimes we wish we had a few books ourselves. But why should it be up to us to raise fifty thousand dollars, or seventy thousand dollars, or any other glittering and magnificent sum, in order that Mr. yie should feel himself at liberty to meet us half-wa: to give just as much as we do? Why shouldn't he strike nobly out, and tread the philanthropic path alone? If that admirable youth who shouted ‘‘ Excelsior’’ on the Alps | had insisted upon the peasants clearing away the snow, we | should never have regarded him as a hero, | Every mail brings us the melancholy tidings that Mr. | j | Carnegie has ‘generously consented "’ to ‘¢ another — BALLROOM PHILOSOPHY, LOVE IS LIKE A WALTZ, IT NEVER QUITE FULFILLS ALL ONE EXPECTS OY 17, EITHER THE MAN'S LEAD 1S TOO PAST OR TOO SLOW—IIs HOLD TOO TIGHT OR TOO LOOSE—NE STUMBLES OVER YOUR GOWN O8 STEPS ON YOUR FEET... 4 AND IF EVERYTHING ELSE IS RIGHT, IT IS THE WRONG MAN. library, if we will generously consent to double the endow- ment fund. Sometimes we are asked for money—which we haven't got. Sometimes we are asked to send books if we write them, or pictures if we paint them, to be sold for the fund. Sometimes we are invited to journey to remote towns, and lecture for the same “noble end.’’ We don't want to be illiberal. We don’t want to refuse assistance to Mr. Carnegie. But, after all, he has two hundred millions of dolla: and we—many of us—have nothing. If he could see his way to getting along for a whilé without our help, it would be a great lifting of our load. Agnes Repplier. HE Baptist clergy who are defending Mr. John D. Rockefeller and his tainted money may take as text “YOU'VE BEF HUNTER,” On! NELLY, WHAT A STORY for a sermon the prophet Micah, the seventh verse of the “VES, YOU HAVE, ROBBIE DICKERSON! YOU pox't Like PEPPER- — SiXth chapter: . MINT, AND SHE ALWAYS GETS PEPPERMINT CHEWING GUM, on! “Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or 1 CAN PUT TWO AND FREE TOGEVVER,” with ten thousands of rivers of oil?” comicbooks.com