Life, 1909-04-01 · page 23 of 52
Life — April 1, 1909 — page 23: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The top cartoon depicts an Easter sermon about "broader vision," while a grotesque figure—appearing to represent either corrupt capitalism or political excess—looms menacingly over a tiny preacher. The satire suggests hypocrisy: calls for moral improvement ring hollow against real-world greed and power. "The Reign of Lawyers" attacks President Taft's Cabinet, noting it contains six lawyers. The piece sarcastically suggests lawyers operate in two phases: first discovering laws exist, then fighting to preserve them unchanged—unless wealthy clients demand otherwise. The satire implies lawyers prioritize precedent and wealthy interests over justice or reform. The accompanying small cartoon mocks a character named "Bugg," likely satirizing political figures of the era. The overall page reflects Progressive Era skepticism toward establishment institutions—both religious hypocrisy and legal conservatism—suggesting they serve power rather than principle.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“ON THIS BEAUTIFUL EASTER MORN, LET US RESOLVE TO HAVE A BROADER VISION’? growing so intelligent that they regard us with constantly increasing scorn. How long shall we endure this con- dition? Let us begin at once to tear things up This is the sort of thing that ought to be discouraged. In the long run it works against a salting matrimonial supremacy: Patience and silent cunning should be our watch words Our course of correspondence shows how this can be accomplished. Write or telegraph for terms. Cable address Bluebeard, New York Corresroxpexce Scnoot. ror Husnayps. Small Voice: amen! The Reign of Lawyers RESIDENT TAFT is a lawyer, and there at ix lawyers in his Cabinet The original stand-patter was a law- yer. There are two distinct periods in the life of every lawyer: first, when he finds that a law has been printed in a book, and, second, when he fights to keep that law inviolate, because it has been printed in a book, unless, of course, he has a wealthy client whose interests run counter toit. Our hope then is, amid the great shuffling of sheep-bound volumes which is promised for the next four years, that our new board of lawyers may con- sider themselves well enough paid to ig- nore a few antiquated precedents. CYNIC is a man who doesn’t be- lieve there are natural blondes. UGG STAY UP THERE?”