Life, 1907-02-14 · page 5 of 28
Life — February 14, 1907 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The cartoon "And So On, Forever" satirizes endless political cycles. Two figures (one appears to be a politician or official) stand separated by columns, repeatedly making the same gestures—suggesting cyclical, meaningless political theater. Below, "The Modern Rip" parodies Washington Irving's Rip Van Winkle story. An Attorney-General sleeps 20 years, wakes to ask about his duties, receives the same answer about fighting trusts, sleeps again, and repeats endlessly. The satire mocks the futility of trust-busting efforts—whether from Theodore Roosevelt's era or later administrations—suggesting anti-monopoly campaigns produce no real change despite repeated political promises. "Between Camels and Private Cars" criticizes wealth inequality, contrasting camel transportation with private automobiles as symbols of civilization's progress benefiting only the wealthy while ordinary people remain excluded.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
AND SO ON, FOREVER The Modem Rip TRETCHING himself and yawning, Rip Van Winkle awoke from his twenty years’ nap, and asked: “What is the Attorney-General doing now?” “He is announcing that he will move against the ‘trusts,” the bystanders answer. Turning back, Rip takes another nap. Twenty years later he awakens and inquires what the Attor- ney-General is doing. A brand-new set of bystanders reply: “He is saying that he will at once move against the trusts.” Rip goes to sleep again and arouses in twenty years more. Again he makes inquiry about the Attorney-General. This time there are no bystanders. “TI thought,” he muses, “that eventually they would see what a cinch it is and get out and organize trusts of their own.” So saying, he prepares to be dramatized and swallowed up by the theatre trust. D. Nesbit. Between Camels and Private Cars Ve stretch between camels and private cars represents about all the history of civilization we know anything about. Time was when a man and his bride went on their honeymoon on thirst-scorning ships of the desert, thus evading rice and relations. Now, stocked with champagne, they are clicked across the continent, while papa pays the freight The camel, as a means of locomotion, was succeeded by the covered wagon ; the covered wagon by the steam car; and the steam car by the private car, so-called, but everything that happens to its inhabitants is so public. The private car is used by presidents of countries and rail- roads, Pittsburg millionaires, prelates, insurance officers not yet in jail and foreign potentates. The only thing that has not brought it into general use are the absurd laws which still make it difficult for all the people to make all kinds of money all the time. The moment that everybody can steal without standing a chance of getting into jail, private cars will be as common as dirt. comicbooks.com