Life, 1908-10-15 · page 13 of 28
Life — October 15, 1908 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**"The Modern Argument"** satirizes voter apathy and political indifference. Two men (Smith and Brown) discuss the upcoming election, revealing neither follows politics, neither has decided how to vote, and neither knows anything about the candidates. Their exchange mocks the casual, uninformed approach many Americans took to voting, suggesting political engagement had declined from earlier "good old days." **The cartoon below** depicts a woman with exaggerated features and two male admirers, captioned "Since Salome Came to Town," referencing the biblical/theatrical Salome figure. The joke appears to mock fashionable pretension and social climbing in urban culture. **"Nature and Us"** discusses Mr. Edison's aeronautical experiments and hair manufacturing—connecting technological progress to consumer industries, suggesting modern economic forces reshape what "Nature" provides.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
, *LIFE* 4u1 The Modern Argument ORMERLY when the campaign gong sounded in the quadrennial race for the Presidential stakes, there was promise of excitement. Not only the candidates, but the people as well, argued and fit, pawed the air and cursed, passed the lie and often the brick. Alas, alack, for the good old days. The other day I heard the following pseudo-argument, which is a fair sample of whither we have drifted: Smith: Take any interest in politics? Brown: No, not much. Do you? Smith: No, not any more. How you going to vote this yea Brown: Don’t know. How you going to vot Smith: Don’t know. Haven't made up my mind yet. Don’t seem to be much difference between the two. Brown: That's the way it looks to me. I’m a Re- publican, but I may vote for Bryan this year. Smith: Well, I'm a Democrat, but I'm thinking a little of voting for Taft Brown: Well, Taft’s all right. I don’t know yet what T'll do Smith; That's the way I feel about it. Bryan's pretty good man. I don’t mean to say that he isn’t. But, of course, I don't have any time to read about politics. Brown: Neither have I. By the way, what was Finnegan's batting average this month? Smith: He’s moved up a notch. He's in the seven- eleven class now, batting 41144. Brown: Fine, isn’t it? Smith: Ain’t it? Prown: Uh huh. > Ww" Did you get the seats for that play I'm so anxious to see? — Huspaxn: Yes, 1 was very fortunate. I got two ADAM AND EVEQ) orchestra chairs for three years from to-night. Nature and Us SPEMING of the aeroplane, Mr. dison recently. said: ns of s without emploving to the inventes bile—both great improvements over nature's methods. Thus Mr. Edison only confirms a sus- picion we have entertained for some time—that Nature is far behind-hand in the race. At one time people were so misguided as to believe, so to speak, that Nature was The Whole Thing She has, however, been almost entirely superseded, in practically every depart- ment. Nature at one time joyfully pro- vided all the hair that women found it necessary to wear on top of their heads. We know better than that now, how- ever. A large body of laborers are en- gaged in manufacturing hair, which, MOF RC euADICR WITH APOLIES 10 Cf. MPagye added to what Nature thinks adequate, SINCE SALOME CAME TO TOWN = produces not only the desired effect, Mabel Miggs has a stole and a muff but also, by creating a new indust Pre considers ae eetally rue helps for better times. Thus our eco- ‘As: she Galea down Breadwen. nomic forces are conserved, in addition “It is dressy, but more than enuff!” to Nature taking a back seat.