Life, 1909-08-12 · page 17 of 28
Life — August 12, 1909 — page 17: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains satirical commentary on corruption and morality in early 20th-century America. **"Self-Government"** mocks local political corruption: aldermen dividing treasury money, councils on junkets, mayors raiding public resources, and police taking bribes ("treads on our toes"). **"Crime and Clime"** is a darkly humorous poem suggesting that winter cold brings out criminal behavior—a man ordinarily harmless becomes violent and lawless in freezing weather, blaming climate rather than accepting responsibility. **The duck cartoon** depicts romantic betrayal: a drake sacrificed his tail feathers for a hen's hat trim, only to be jilted for looking homely. **"Mr. Loeb Mulcts Everybody"** celebrates Collector Loeb's enforcement of customs duties on wealthy travelers' baggage—previously exempt through bribes. The satire applauds ending preferential treatment for the rich, forcing all passengers to pay tariffs equally. The overall theme: exposing petty corruption, human moral weakness, and class-based tax evasion in American society.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
——— ae * eS, IMPROVES IT GREATLY Vv “LIFE: Self-Government LDERMEN in the treasury Dividing up our money Council on a junket Eating up our honey. Mayor in the garden Going through our clothes; Along comes a fat cop Who treads on our toes. Roy Bergengren ful settlement workers? Parker: to foree: terity, the world. Crime ‘and Clime eto crime. In low temperatures the evil in human nature is developed to an alarm- ing degree.) (lt is said that cold is conduc Is summer, when at early dawn The solar rays about me flicker, I tend my pigs, or mow the lawn, Or play at croquet with the vicar. My smile is innocent and bland, My temper meck and mild and mellow ; I'd cat out of a person's hand, I'm such a harmless fellow. An ass,” as friends inform each other, ¢ “But so devoted to his mother!” In winter, when a blizzard blows, And drives thermometers to zero, I unexpectedly disclose The worst propensities of Nero. All caution to the winds I fling, Sheer dissipation my delight is, While even mother's suffering From chronic suffragitis, And keeps a record, neatly written, Of all policemen she bas bitten In summer, when some relative Commits a burglary, or for I sce no reason to forgive Such quite unseasonable or; But when, in winter, I imbibe Too freely ere I seek my pillow, To climate I at once ascribe This trifling peccadillo See, mother dear, how wild the weath Let's go and rob a church together! Harry Graham. _ We perr egg — “THERE GOES THAT BRAZEN MISS DUCK, THE HEARTLESS THING.” “YoU SEEM TO HAVE A BAD OPINION OF HER.” “NO WONDER. AFTER MY BROTHER SACRIFICED HIS TAIL FOR TRIMMINGS FOR HER HAT SHE JILTED HIM BECAU: gE ME LOOKED SO HOMELY.”” OST: Who are the most success The foreign nobles who come over and marry rich American CRITIC is a man who presumes t the opinion of pos HE hands that rob the cradle rule 217 ANOTHER MILE AND A HALF TO SLIDE BEFORE I CAN GET ASSISTANCE Mr. Loeb Mulcts Everybody OLLECTOR LOEB says he is col lecting duties, according to law, on passenger's baggage at the port of New York; that the “glad hand’ has been abolished, that the customs’ receipts have doubled, and that he means to have all incomers pay legal dues on all they bring. Excellent! We never could see that it was a just or ju jous modification of the protective tariff to exempt from its exactions persons who were rich enough to do their shopping abroad, and wicked enough to bribe or beat the cus- toms officers. The tariff ought to pinch us all alike, and be hate: all of us. So may abated. impartially by be the earlier REAT grow. grafts from little duties comicbooks.com