Life, 1908-05-28 · page 17 of 24
Life — May 28, 1908 — page 17: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes the 1908 U.S. presidential campaign, criticizing both major parties for lacking distinguishing positions. The article argues that Republicans and Democrats have become indistinguishable—when Bryan (William Jennings Bryan, the Democratic candidate) moves in one direction, Roosevelt moves two steps the same way. Issues like tariffs, trusts, and labor are presented as hollow rhetorical games of "Alphonse and Gaston" (a reference to exaggerated politeness). The top cartoon depicts a reckless car race, likely symbolizing the campaign's dangerous lack of meaningful debate or clear direction. The bottom cartoon, "Don't We Look Natural?" shows caricatured political figures attempting to appear authentic while clearly performing artifice—emphasizing the satire's core complaint: both parties are engaged in hollow theater rather than substantive disagreement. The page's thrust: without genuine ideological differences, American voters—especially Civil War veterans—are adrift and confused about what they actually believe.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The: Elusive Issue HE Presidential campaign s almost upon us and we are without an issue. In spite of a careful combing out of the political verbiage of past cam- paigns, the Republicans and Democrats have not yet select- ed a suitable question by which ‘one may be distinguished from the others, although we are barely a half year away from election day. Up to date, all the time has been put in in stealing one another’s thunder. As fast as Bryan takes a step in one di- rection, Roosevelt takes two steps in the same direction, and vice versa. The Democrats in Congress wake up at every little disturbance, then turn over and go to sleep again. When Roose- velt says that capital should be given a free rein so long as it does not encroach upon labor, Bryan says that labor should be given a free tein so long as it does not encroach upon capital. The Republicans believe that the tariff should be amended, not yet, but soon; the Democrats believe the tariif should be amended soon, but not too soon. One side says that some trusts are better than others; the other side says that some trusts are worse than others. Upon these ghosts of issues the representatives of both partics in Congress are indulging in a ludicrous game of Alphonse and Gaston. The Bryanites believe that all would be well if it were not for the anti-Bryan Democrats and the pro-Roosevelt Republicans, and vice vera in all possible combinations and permutations. The solid South, like the tar-baby, ain't sayin’ nuthin’. ‘The Philippine question is no longer anything but a joke. So is the money question. What is to be done? If we cannot dis- agree, we are lost. A Presidential campaign without red fire would be disgraceful. Red fire without an argument would be ridiculous. It would not help us a bit if Bryan would become a little more con- _ She (enthusiastically): Ov, ISN'T THIS PINE! He (anxiously): 1T WILL BE IF WE DON’T SHAKE THAT BIKE COP PRETTY SOON servative and Roosevelt a little more radical. Both have been tried and harmony still reigns. It would not help if Bryan ran on the Republican ticket and Roosevelt on the Democratic ticket, with Taft explaining his labor record, Foraker explaining Taft, Watterson explaining the position of the solid South, the Sun ex- plaining the war with Japan, the World explaining how it elected Grover Cleveland, and Henry Clews explaining the difference be- tween speculation and gambling. Even all that would not pro- vide an issue which would warrant us in standing on the corner and soaking cach other in the jaw or calling cach other vile names. In the meantime, all the men who fought in the Civil War, and their sons, are at sea. They do not know what, when or how t believe. They don’t know what to get mad about or on what si It is a frightful condition of harmony. Bite-O Tones: “DON'T WE LOOK NATURAL?” comicbooks.com