Life, 1909-02-25 · page 8 of 28
Life — February 25, 1909 — page 8: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This satirical cartoon depicts **Theodore Roosevelt** (identified by the label and his distinctive appearance) in a wheelchair pulled by what appears to be a donkey, being succeeded by another figure. The title "A Successful Succession" suggests commentary on presidential transition. The dialogue reveals the joke: Roosevelt is frantically delegating last-minute executive duties—handling foreign policy crises, military matters, weather control, even arranging eclipses—to establish his successor. The absurdity of one president supposedly arranging natural phenomena and managing minute details underscores the satirical point about presidential power transfer and the challenge of genuine succession. The cartoon likely comments on Roosevelt's activist presidency and difficulty relinquishing control.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
~ SEES A Successful Succession S the curtain rises Roosevelt is discovered seated on the back of a horse decorated _ to look like a throne Jf Strewn carelessly about ““~ are the bones of nature- fakers, mollycoddles, liars, undesirable citizens, etc. Roosevent (softly crooning) : The hour has come, The crisis nears, When “yours. sincerely” Disappears. While I go far, Far over seas, Another minds My policies. Loeb, Loeb? use a Loeb, know (He stops ond calls loudly.) Loeb. Where is that lobster And he may be glad I do not shorter and nastier epithet. Loeb. (Enter Locb) Do you what day this is? Lors—Aye, milord, it is the snides of March. R—Very good of messages. Tha more extensive cultivation of mince pies along the bean belt. Be sure that the Senate docs not understand it “mint spies.’ Now, do you think I have cov- ered everything? L—Aye, aye, milord, everything R—I have tried to let no man escape, innocent or guilty. L—It is a clean sweep, milord, from the World to the Sun. They are all trimmed. R—Your kind words let me Here is the last batch ¢ recommended the down asy. Is everything ready for the cere- mony L—Aye, aye, milord. R—Have you examined my and found it all right? L—Yes, milord. R—Have you let out the hem of my mantle and pieced it about the waist? L—I have, milord. R—Have you stationed the fleet in the Blue Room? L—Yes, milord, and the torpedo boats are chasing gold-fish in the fountain, much to the delight of Kermit. R—Did you send secret service agents to quiet the earthquake in Italy. L—Yes, milord, I think we have the earthquake duly bluffed. R—Have you arranged for good weather and a special eclipse of the sun for twelve o'clock? L—It is all arranged. R—Have I fired all the colored sol- diers, ended all the wars and jollied all the foreign potentates? L—Yes, milord, all, all, all R—Then bring in the successor I have chosen (Outside is heard a great hubbub, made up of angry agonizings and plain- tive pleadings. Suddenly Taft rolls in frantically trying to escape from a gang of hungry office-seckers ‘disguised as pi- rates and mendicants.) Roosevet (stentoriously.) Stop. (The offce-seckers fade away.) Let the candidate advance. (Taft rolls to the center of the stage.) Roosevert (angrily Where is your horse? mantle continuing) — Tart (meekly)—The S. P. C. A. agent took it away from me. : R—Excuse me a moment while I dash off a message about it. (Continuing as he finishes a lengthy message.) And now is everything in readiness? L—Yes, milord, all but Lyman Abbot. He has been abducted by the Suffragets R—Never mind, I'll fix that later (Turning to Toft) Have you learnea your lesson? T—I am prepared. “cap! 1 Wis I WAS ONLY SEVEN YEARS OLD AND HAD A DOLLAR TO SPEND,"* comicbooks.com