Life, 1907-02-07 · page 22 of 52
Life — February 7, 1907 — page 22: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This 1913 *Life* magazine piece satirizes Simon Guggenheim, the newly elected U.S. Senator from Colorado, a wealthy mining magnate. The cartoon mocks his naive idealism about public service. Guggenheim claims he'll make his name "honored in America" through honest work and represent all Colorado citizens equally—sentiments *Life* finds laughably optimistic. The magazine ridicules his assertion that wealth naturally leads to self-sacrifice, arguing this is merely "intelligence" not noble sacrifice. The satire's sharpest jabs target his lack of political experience ("you sound as green as grass") and inexperience with Senate realities. Comparing him unfavorably to experienced senators, the writer sardonically suggests Guggenheim apply his smelting expertise to "refining" corrupt senators like Tillman and Davis—implying the Senate itself needs purification. The satirical tone is affectionate but cutting: Guggenheim means well, but dramatically underestimates what being a Senator requires beyond wealth and good intentions.
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Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Simple Simon Guggenheim T > papers printed a dispatch from \ 4 Denver, dated January 17, which told about an interview with Simon Guggen- heim, the new Senator-elect from Colorado. It sounds like a true story. A strong aroma of devotion to the public service exhales from the interview. The new Senator's sentiments are creditable to his heart, yet some of them stir the reader to rumination. For example, Senator Simon says: “It's up to me. If I'm an honest man and work honestly for this State I'm going to make my name honored in America, and I want to do that above everything.” It isan honorable aspiration, but the Senator overestimated the scarcity of honest men in the Senate. Being an honest man and working honestly for Colorado won't in If suffice to make his name honored in America. It takes a lot more than tha It is not n certain that that is enough to make his name honored in Colorado, It would depend on how effectual his work was. ‘The Senator goes on to say that he has money enough and is quite independent. And he adds: : “Tam going to the Senate to represent all the people of Colorado, and I mean to do it in a way that will make all the people my If 1am honest I will have their support; if Tam not, they will villify me. I want to make a name for my family and bring honor to my He is an optimist, isn’t he? He thinks he can be honest and represent all the people of Colorado in a way that will make them all his friends. He could hardly do that, even if he were willing to be crooked. He will have to disappoint some of them and they won't like it. If he satisfies a majority of them he will do well. Not even Senator Crane, of Massa- chusetts, does much better than that, and our veteran and experienced Senators from New York do not do so well. “T don’t pretend to be a statesman,” proceeds Simon, and gocs on to say that he believes in an expansionist policy for Colorado, and that he has cut absolutely free from business (at some personal sacrifices) and will go to Washington un- fettered. But, dear man, you ought to be a statesman if you are going to be a Senator. Just from decent self-respect you ought to pretend to be at least as much of a statesman as Senator William A. Clark, who, like you, has owned mines. It is not cnough to have stripped yourself of business. ‘That in itself is not a qualification for a Senatorship. You should have ac- quired something. Have you ever acquired anything except money that will qualify you to be a Senator? We wonder ! You go on to say that you “think the time is coming when men of wealth will only be too glad to make personal sacrifices to serve their country faithfully.” Ah, Simon, get over that idea about’ personal sacrifices. What you mean is that men who have made all the money they race *LIFE* want will prefer the public service to more money-making. That isn’t sacrifice, it is merely intelligence—gleam of almost human intelligence. But it is creditable, and we think as you do, that it is going to be more common. Good luck to you, Simon! You sound as green as grass, but maybe you are a good fellow. You know one thing, anyhow you know smelting. Take along your smelter and smelt Till- man. If you can separate his gold from his dross, that will be a work to make you famous. And Jeff Davis, of Arkansas smelt him, too, and sce if you get any valuable residue. We guess you won't. Oh, Simon, if you could only smelt the Senate—smelt, assay and refine it—what a useful work ! Good luck to you, Simon! Peremptory I P HAS been a cold, wet winter so far in Califormia—the cold- est and wettest in ten years—and San Francisco suspects that Japan has made the earthquake a pretext for withholding or diverting the Japanese current and leaving California to shiver. And California would have Japan know, by George! that if that current is not shipped at once and delivered promptly, things will happen that Japan, by gracious! will not like. MAU2: 1 thought you had made Jack swear off smoking cigarettes. Erne: I did. But I had to let him begin again. I couldn’t think of a thing to give him for Christmas that didn’t have something or other to do with tobacco! HICH ONE OF THE TWINS ARE YOU, DEAR?” ‘MDE ONE DEY TANT DO NUPFIN wip!” comicbooks.com