Life, 1906-10-04 · page 27 of 44
Life — October 4, 1906 — page 27: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The cartoon depicts a confrontation between a sailor (representing Admiral Evans's men) and a civilian labeled "That Fool, Brown," who appears dismissive or hostile. The accompanying article criticizes Portland, Maine's treatment of U.S. Navy sailors. Admiral Evans reported that his men—though sober and orderly—were abused by police and denied entry to public establishments simply for wearing Navy uniforms. Life magazine satirizes this conduct by connecting it to Maine's Prohibition laws and the state's apparently poor manners generally. The piece cites Congressman Littlefield's recent near-electoral defeat, attributing it partly to his own overbearing demeanor, suggesting Mainers were hypocritical: enforcing strict moral standards (Prohibition) while treating military personnel rudely. The satire's point: Portland's inhospitable treatment of sailors contradicts American values of hospitality and respect for those in uniform, and Maine's self-righteous moralizing rings hollow given its citizens' actual conduct.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
homely and simple as the title of the book, but one of those admirably unaffected bits of self-revelation which occasionally startle us by the simple process of shocking tradi- tion by confronting it with common sense. Style, personality and point of view com- bine to give the little volume a flavor of its own, J.B. Kerfoot. The Treasure of Heaven, by Marie Corelli. (Dodd, Mead and Company. $1.50.) Leo Tolstoi. Childhood and Farly Manhood, com- pied by Paul Birukoff. (Charles: Scribner's Sons. $1.50.) _The Sin of George Warrener. by Maric van Vorst. (The Macmillan Company. $1.50.) 4g, Tie Master Man. (The Jobn Lane Company. $1.50.) Scarlett of the Mounted, by Marguerite Merrington. (Moffat, Yard and Company. $1.25.) a Maid, by Ronald Macdonald. (Henry Company. $1.50.) n the Danish of Carl ns. $100) NN fanmail That Fool, Brown: WeLL0, OLD MAN, ANY TROUBLE ? The Shame of Portland DMIRAL EVANS tells the Navy Department that they treat United States sailors’so brutally in Portland that he does not propose to let any more war- ships put in there. The Navy: Depart- ment says, “All right, Admiral !’” It may be that part of the trouble is that Portland is in Maine and Maine is Prohibition, and, consequently, the Port- land grog is poisonous and-sold only in disreputable dives. Of all grog, Pro- hibition grog is the deadliest; and-there is always plenty of it Admiral Evans, however, does not complain of Portland grog, but of Port- land manners. He says his men, while en sober and orderly, were abused and mis- treated by the police and denied admis- sion to places of public entertainment for no reason but that they wore the uniform of the Unjted States Navy. What is the matter with Maine man- ners? We read that Congressman Little- field, of that State, narrowly escaped defeat in the recent election because he was so overbearing and dictatorial in his deportment that his own neighbors would not stand it. His own manners and his support of Prohibition would have beaten him, they tell us, if Samuel Gompers had not saved him by cutting into the campaign. It is not wise to be rude; no, not even to Admiral Evans's sailors. comicbooks.com