Life, 1908-06-04 · page 16 of 44
Life — June 4, 1908 — page 16: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page combines fundraising notices with political satire disguised as nursery rhymes. The main cartoon, "Echoes of the Nursery," presents a dialogue between "nurse Boostvelt" (Theodore Roosevelt) and "Baby Waft" (William Howard Taft, his chosen successor). The satire mocks Roosevelt's aggressive progressive agenda by depicting him as a domineering nurse force-feeding reluctant "Baby Waft" the "nomination bottle"—suggesting Taft's unwilling acceptance of Roosevelt's political legacy. Baby Waft's subsequent questions parody Roosevelt's trust-busting, anarchist-suppressing, and socialist-combating crusades, treating serious reform efforts as absurd nursery concerns. The piece ridicules both figures: Roosevelt's overbearing reformism and Taft's passivity. The illustration "A Cat May Look at a King" complements this by suggesting animals observe human folly without judgment. The page also includes an "Extract from a Letter" criticizing editorial writers who advocate vivisection while avoiding personal discomfort—satirizing hypocritical reformers.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Our Fresh Air Fund Balance on hand at the close of Less Marion Story Fund $1,208. RECIIVED SINCE LAST STATEMENT CWB Ta memory of J.D. A.- Louis H. Rambo. Margaret Hamtin Taylor. May, Sallie and Hele C.J. Manly... “Hawaii”. sceods of Fale given by Willing Workers! Club, of Glen Cove, L. extica Louise Tiffany Frank, President, Joan Fletcher, Constance Fahys, Elizabeth Carrington Frank, Louise Harkness, Ruth Handy, Laura Parsons, Mollie Parsons, Philippa Queen. Karl Philip Doerr and sister..... Thos. Smith........ Mrs. A. M. Banker Alexis L. Ebrman.. A. W. Pierce... 3 ard T. Call...... F. R. Wickman, A.K. F., Philadelphia......... Interest on Marion Story Fund Joseph Gladstone... J. S. Saramis, Je. E.M.S... J. Walter Wood, Jr. The “Willing Workers 3 Saugerties , N.Y t season. $6,208. s,000. 88888 ae aBs 8888888 AT LIFE'S FARM RALLYING ROUND THE FLAG Echoes of the Nursery ‘OW, baby, dear,” cooed nurse Boost- velt, as she handed Baby Wait the nomination bottle, “you must take it.” “Wow, wow. I don't wanna. It's too heavy. You keep it. Wow, wow “Please, baby, it's good for you," she gently coaxed; then added with a ferocious smile, “I'm too grown up for it, you know.” Baby Waft suddenly sat up and ceased crying. “Nurse, dear!” What!” nurse Boostvelt mildly roared. Nurse,” solemnly began Baby ,Waft, placing one chubby finger on his capacious nightshirt and raising the other imperiously as he had seen his nurse do when addressing the Race Propagators’ Convention. Nurse Boostvelt stood rigidly at attention. urse, dear,” and a great light shone in Baby Watt's eyes. “Have the maggots that fly against magistrates and indulge in un- charitable and unprofitable buzzing been securely stifled ?”” “Yes, child,” modestly replied nurse Boostvelt, as she turned to telephone for the official photographer. “And the pernicious activity of the Trust bacilli completely checked ?” “Yes, dear,” she blushingly admitted, tenderly fondling a miniature of E. H. Harriman. “And all the Anarchistic and Socialistic pests safely suppressed ?” “Yes!” she thundered, reaching for her hip pocket. Baby Waft leaned back with a blissful smile on his face. “You may go, nurse,” he murmured, dreamily. “T'll take the bot- te.” Maurice Korshet. Extract from a Letter 'HIS is part of a letter from another How often do we hear of a vivisector or an editorial writer becoming so enthusiastic in the pursuit of Science that they would so much as stick the blade of a penknife under their own fingernails, while they dictated their conflicting emotions to a stenographer? But if you think they are not interested in advancing the Great Cause, just read their editorials, or watch them stick knives in a cats eye ‘To return to the Editorial-Mind, it doesn’t believe in a bell for sinners; neither do the cats and dogs: they come of a newer school of theology and biology— they believe in hell for the innocent. MH. “A CAT MAY LOOK AT A KING” Comicbooks.com