Life, 1909-06-24 · page 9 of 29
Life — June 24, 1909 — page 9: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three separate satirical pieces labeled "The Universal Language": 1. **"Jerome, the Evader"**: A District Attorney character criticizes his opponent for using "brass and bluster" while evading substantive issues. The satire targets evasive political rhetoric. 2. **"Applause"**: A commentary on how public praise corrupts judgment. It notes that applause makes "easy marks" of people and warns against those who seek validation through crowd approval—a critique of populism or demagoguery. 3. **"The Prodigal's Philosophy"**: A brief comic dialogue where a doctor visits a patient avoiding housework, joking about using a private car to escape domestic duties. **"The Pitcher Plant"**: A small illustrated cartoon (bottom right) appears to be a nature-based visual pun, though details are unclear. The page uses humor to critique political dishonesty, mob mentality, and social evasion.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Jerome, the Evader ‘THE District Attorney's campaign of merrily. Mr. Je rome’s chiet weapons seem to be brass excuses opened and a thick hide, and they are indeed mighty. So far as plain truth is con- cerned, Mr. Cronin hit the the solar plexus the other said: “1 have your assistants as crooks, Mr. Attorney, but I believe I voice ments of a gr ass of voters in this city, who supported you for District At- torney—and I am one of them—when I nd have r lieve, that under your administration of the District Attorne been one law for the rich and another for the poor. And the applause shook the hall Which that this Artful Dodger cannot fool some of the people all the time ght when he not denounced you and all District he senti- say they believe, on to be- “s office there has seems to indicate even HE average matrimonial sists of a leading lady ral utility man team con- and a gen- THE UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE Applause TT HE most, rowerful intoxieant known The thirst for it is to a greater or less extent the undoing of all en and some angels; while as for women, the merest taste of it causes them to leave undone the things which they ought to do, and to do the things which ought never to be done The wise it marks it makes easier. Yet who resorteth to applause may perish by applause, for none knows when his de struction cometh By right of our Puritan should shun the open disgrace of praise to the face, but, alas! we do not, and Delirious de makes easy marks, easy always he there is no help in us. lectability beguiles us wholly, and we are stung before we know it Ramsey Benson T NEW BUTLER: I beg pardon, sir. Would you mind my keeping a private auto of me own, sir, to use when I'm not wanted, sir? I find the fresh air chirks me up a bit! The Prodigal's Philosophy . ID pleasures and palace: Tho’ we may roam,’ When the stomach is em} “There's no place like home."* V OLEBLE LADY: Do you want to me again, doctor? Doctor Tue business. I don't want to, but it’s E PITCHER PLANT comicbooks.com