Life, 1908-08-13 · page 15 of 20
Life — August 13, 1908 — page 15: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes American politics circa 1908, likely referencing William Jennings Bryan's presidential ambitions. The main article jokes that if Bryan wins, fellow Democrat John Kern will share the White House, humorously imagining them as domestic housemates negotiating breakfast and etiquette. The satire mocks the Democratic Party's perceived lack of sophistication, suggesting that Bryan and Kern's cohabitation would somehow elevate Democratic "sartorial" standards—that laborers would soon wear dinner jackets. The piece absurdly treats political partnership as literal roommate arrangement, poking fun at both the party and the candidates' public images. The sidebar "John Bull's New Sporting Mottoes" makes cynical jabs at British athletic ethics (cheating, hitting below the belt), reflecting anti-British sentiment. The bottom item jokes that a bookstore clerk substitutes "Who's Who in Chicago" for Dante's *Inferno*—implying Chicago society is as hellish as Dante's underworld. Overall: partisan ridicule of Democratic politicians and social pretension.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
A New Regime HE announcement that if Bryan is elected Mr. Kern will be permitted to share the White House with him is de- lightful reading. Mr. Bry- an will nat- urally —oc- cupy the music room and the Statuary Hall, while Mr. Kern’s whiskers will float gracefully through the West Wing. The significance of this new movement can hardly be overestimated. It is one thing to run on the same political ticket. It is quite another to keep house together and trade at the same grocery store. The question naturally arises, will Brother Kern be permitted to come down to breakfast with his mother hub- bard on? Then again, how does he eat corn on the cob? Twelve years ago these leading ques- tions might have been asked of Mr. Bryan, but since then he has traveled and knows that pajamas are the only thing for a gentleman to wear. Of course, the real idea underlying this sweeping revolution is gradually to lift the Democratic party up to the social OUR FIRST INTERNATIONAL MATCH WHEN CAPTAIN. ROLPE and sartorial level that it should have attained before. With Kern and Bryan keeping house and setting the styles, laboring men will soon be wearing din- ner coats after sundown. announced that Miss Gertrude was so much better that she would positively appear at Hammerstein's in her “Salome” dances to-night. Miss Hoffmann had a very narrow escape from drowning at morning.—Daily paper. OTTO for Miss Hoffmann: “Hang your clothes on a y limb, but don’t go near the It was Hoffman! fe yesterday MARRIED POCAMONTAS John Bull's New Spcrting Mottoes Y the best man win—if he's an Englishman. If you can’t beat him, cheat him. Never strike a man when he’s down —unless you're sure he can’t get up. A good excuse is as good as a vic- tory. Never hit below the belt—unless you can't win otherwise. J. S. M. USTOMER (in book store you Dante’s “ Inferno?’ Cieek: No, but I can give you “Who's Who in Chicago.”* Have ON THE TRAIL comicbooks.com