Life, 1908-07-02 · page 15 of 40
Life — July 2, 1908 — page 15: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes **Richard Croker**, the corrupt Irish-American political boss of Tammany Hall, who recently retired to Ireland claiming "America needs a rest." The lengthy poem mocks his statement as a thinly veiled plea for reformers to stop exposing corruption. The satire targets Croker's hypocrisy: he accumulated wealth through graft ("graft-gotten laurels") and now wants the nation to stop investigating political crime so corrupt politicians can continue unchecked. References to "the Man with the Rake," "con-contract capitol building," and "rats" nibbling "the National Cheese" represent various corruption schemes. **"Teddy" (Theodore Roosevelt)** appears as the reformer disrupting the corrupt status quo—the "crows" that politicians now must hide from. The bottom cartoon about "Old Knickerbockers" humorously notes wealthy families' charitable support, while the restaurant dialogue is an unrelated joke about portion sizes.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Eta A Message from Croker [What America needs isa little rest,” said Richard Croker, recently, reviewing national affairs from his Irish estate, where he lives in wealthy retirement.) PIRATE, retired with his morals To dignified kingdoms afar, Reclines on his graft-gotten laurels, Forgetting the course of his star. In his stronghold of granite and mortar He sits with the calm of the blest And says to the passing reporter, “What America needs is a rest.” “A rest!” says the glorified Grafter, Discreetly removed from the storm, “Let peace, perfect peace, follow after This feverish wave of reform. Again let the Household be sleeping, ‘The Rat Catchers dreaming at ease, So the Rat from his hole may come creeping To nibble the National Cheese. “ Must Virtue pop up like a midget, Forever denouncing some fake? Must the Man with the Dough always fidget At sight of the Man with the Rake? If mud can be covered by gilding, Say, why should the Law be so hard Ona con-contract capitol building Where Art is sold off by the yard? “The times are sure getting unsteady If patriots never can rob Without some disciple of Ted: To butt in and squeal on the job. Who started that Conscience that whistles The National Sore-heads by morn ‘To chop down the Organized Thistles And give a fair chance to the Corn? “But, ah! a Republic invented By me no reform could disrupt— The Mob by corruption contented, The Rulers content—and corrupt. But peace doves like Quay or Dick Croker Once more on the top 0’ the nest And Justice and Law can play poker And give the dear Nation a rest But the Lord of the cup-winning Orby Sits high on his roost, for he knows It’s very poor picking for Corbie When Teddy is gunning for crows; Yet his mind is a mirror reflected On days that were wildest and best, When the Swagger and Swag were respected And the Country was getting a rest Wallace Irwin OW much would Shakespeare have written, if he had been buying and selling stocks on a margin? “WHAT PART OP THE CHICKEN WILL YOU HA} “SOME OF THE MEAT, PLE. Old Knickerbockers T' gentleman who looks after the real estate news of the New York Evening Post seems not to be without the sense of humor. Recording the sale of the building long occupied by the New York Dispensary, he mentions that the old dispensary has been a boon to poor families for more than a century, and “has been supported mainly by the old, wealthy Knickerbocker families, including the Roosevelts, Astors, Vander- bilts and Goulds.” ‘T SEEMS rather strange that love should change so little, when so many advances are constantly being made by lovers. MR. HALL-ROOM?” comicbooks.com