Life, 1908-03-26 · page 3 of 22
Life — March 26, 1908 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page presents an illustrated moral lesson about unity and cooperation. An old man demonstrates to his son that individual sticks can be easily broken, but a bundle of sticks bound together cannot be broken—teaching that "there is strength in unity." The accompanying illustration shows three figures: a well-dressed woman and young man (representing the privileged classes) observing an elderly poor man demonstrating his lesson. The caption notes that marriage of opposites may be advisable but not in extreme cases, suggesting this fable comments on class divisions and social hierarchy in early 20th-century America. The moral promotes organizational labor and capital working together, though the satirical framing implies skepticism about such harmony actually occurring across class lines.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
er car by ce. capacity. to produce THE MARRIAGE OF OPPOSITES MAY BE ADVISABLE—BUT NOT IN EXTREME CASES The Bundle of Sticks HE old man called his son to him to ex. plain the mysteries of business. “My son,” said he, “you have fin- ished college and you must now make a show at least of getting busy. Let me ex- plain to you a few fundamentals. Here I have a bundle of sticks. See if you can break them.” The young man had been absent from school with appendicitis at the time his class had read the old story of the bundle of sticks, and so he was not next. He tried and tried to break the sticks, but could not. “See how easy it is,” said the old man, taking the sticks, cutting the cord and breaking them one by one. “Gee, that’s a bum joke,” said the young man, as he puffed his cigarette and tried to look interested. “Tt’s no joke,” said the old man. “It is a parable. The bundle of sticks taken together represent organization, which is very desirable in the case of capital. If, however, we look upon the sticks as representing labor, it is criminal and immoral for them to be tied together. They would then represent a union. Always keep your capital sticks tied together and your labor sticks separate.” “I should think what’s sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander,” said the son, whose point of view still blunt. “Tt depends on how big a goose you are,” replied the old man. Ellis O. Jones. comicbooks.com