Life, 1908-02-27 · page 19 of 20
Life — February 27, 1908 — page 19: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page primarily contains **advertisements** and a brief **editorial comment** defending political satire. The key content is a response to criticism of cartoonist Otho Cushing's book "The 'Teddysey'" (likely caricaturing President Theodore Roosevelt). A Texas newspaper had objected that satirizing the presidency was disrespectful. Life magazine's editor **forcefully disagrees**, arguing that in a democracy with free speech, the presidency and president are fair targets for satire and humor. The editor explicitly rejects the European concept of "*lèse majesté*" (offense to royal dignity), asserting that American presidents are public servants chosen by the people—not sacred figures beyond criticism. The editor notes that despots like "William Hohenzollern" (Kaiser Wilhelm II) punish dissent, but America should reject such authoritarianism. The rest of the page contains liqueur and whiskey advertisements typical of early-20th-century magazines.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
a { ‘ THE FACT THAT THE BULK OF THE WHISKEY SOLD THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES IS BLENDED PROVES THE POPULARITY OF THIS FORM OF WHISKEY The Divinity That Doth Hedge a King PEAKING of Mr. Otho Cushing's collection of drawings which first ap- peared in Lire and are now published in book form under the title, “The ‘Teddys- sey,” the Galveston News sai Though not so coarse as many cartoons and exceedingly clever and amusing, it would scem that the dignity of the office and the respect of the American people for that office and themselves would not tolerate such a sense of humor and satire as is exhibited in this book. When one looks at this book the question arises, Is there absolutely nothing in this country important or sacred enough to be taken seriously ? Some of us storm, or pre- Se a Baltimore BPVDDPPDDODO9 OO VE99DH94 09069 004-0000-0004OO: LIQUEUR 3] tend to, when an indignity is offered our flag, 5) The flag is only a piece of bunting which i Peres Chartreux seule isa pay ae 15,4 PEEND. OF MARY. give poke ridicule at the real head of the Nation. RYE WHISKIES OF UNI- —GREEN AND YELLOW— This famous cordial, now made at Tarragona, Spain, was for centuries distilled by” the Carthusian Monks (Péres Chartreux) at the ‘Monastery of La Grande Chartreuse, France, known throughout the workd as Char- treuse. ‘The above cut represents the bottle and label employed in the (x putting up of the article since the Monks’ expulsion from France, and it is now known as Liqueur Peres Char- treux (the Monks, however, still retain the ight touse the old botile and label as well), distilled by the same order of Monks, who have securely guarded the secret of its manufacture for hundreds of years, taking it with them at the time they left the Monastery of La Grande Chartreuse, and who, therefore, alone possess a knowledge of the elements of this delicious nectar. No Ligueur associated with the name of the Carthusian Monks (Péres Chartreax) and made since their expulsion from France is genuine except that made by them at Tarra gona, Spain. At frst-class Wine Merchant Batjer & Co., 45 Broad Sole Agents for ; $ t + 4 z + + ¢ gy e e ? : ¢ : $ > $ ¢ + @ o i ¢ z : ; $ z ¢ ¢ 54 ¢ $ ¢ + P¢ + + $ 5 ¢ + ? 3 »¢ $ } + : ¢ ‘ ? ; + $ g ; LOOPPOOEESOPRESOPOT OR OPF FOO FOEO9044 ° IRICAL BURLESQUE OF A RE- . NOTORIOUS “BEST SELLER” ANOTHER THREE WEEKS NOT by EL-N-R GL-N 25 Cents Paper Covers 68 Pages Of all Booksellers and Newsdealers and mailed carriage free to any address on teceipt of price by LIFE PUBLISHING COMPANY 17 West 31st Street, NEW-YORK Rats! ‘This is unfair to Mr. Cushing’s drawings, which our readers will remember as re- spectful and rather laudatory. Despots and tyrants, naturally, did not care to have either their personalities or their offices commented on too freely. They not only insisted on being exempt from criticism, but they had an emphatic way of enforcing the exemption. Even to- day one William Hohenzollern has a habit of locking up German persons who take his name in vain. ‘The Presidency was made by the people for the people, and so long as free speech and a free press survive in America no comment on it, serious or flippant, can be made lése majesté. The office is largely what its holder makes it. ‘The people of the United States have made several mis- takes in the persons they chose to hold the office, and whatever fun they may have with the unfortunate gentleman who allowed himself to accept a position for which he was not qualified, reflects quite as much on their own bad judgment as it does on the office or the man. Mr. Roosevelt has surrounded the office with a good deal of royal or imperial pomp in the way of official uniforms and Presi- dential yachts detailed for social occasions. Nevertheless, it strikes us that our ‘Texas contemporary is slightly mistaken when it assumes that the Presidency or the President has yet been lifted up above the field of legitimate satire and caricature. And, by the way, could any one suggest intentional fun and satire, funnier than the description, often used by the provincial press, of the wife of any President as ‘the first lady of the land? Autey’s Foot-Ease has become almost a necessity to me,—Mrs, H. E, Sadler, Sedan, Kansas, FORM EXCELLENCE AND IS THE PERFECTION OF QUALITY AND FLAVOR rane Sold at all fret-class cafes and by jothe: TANAHAN © SON, faltinore, MA = COO a OSE OT SO Sr PRESS OF REOFIELD BROTHERS. NEW YORK comicbooks.com