Life, 1909-12-02 · page 35 of 80
Life — December 2, 1909 — page 35: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This satirical story mocks **protectionist economic policy** (likely Gilded Age tariffs). A wealthy manufacturer rewards a poor boy with $2,000 for a dime, claiming this demonstrates how protective tariffs have made America prosperous. The gentleman explicitly teaches young Benjy that protection created national wealth and rising prices. The satire's point: protectionist advocates claimed tariffs benefited common people, but this story reveals the absurdity—the family is so impoverished they celebrate being able to buy basic food. The "prosperity" has inflated prices so drastically that a dime (once worth real purchasing power) is now a collector's rarity worth $2,000. By showing a destitute family on "bread and water," the cartoonist exposes how protective tariffs actually harmed working poor while enriching manufacturers, contradicting the protective tariff argument that such policies lifted all economic classes. The story's nostalgic reference to 1859 suggests longing for an earlier, less manipulated economy.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“Honest [ don’t," protested Joe. “Oh, now, don’t be afraid,’ said the gentleman reas: suringly; “I don’t blame you for picking up what my nephew dropped; and I am willing to pay a good price to get it back Didn’t you pick up a little shining silver disk, a coin, Joc?” “Do you mean a picce called a dime?" asked Joe. “TL do, indeed,” cried the gentleman joyfully.“ Have you got it? “How much will you give me for it?” “T will give you.’ said the gentleman impressively, thousand dollars for it."” A thousand dollars on Christmas Eve to a family who were living on bread and water in a garret! Think of it, gentle reader! Try to realize it, if you can! A thousand dollars! Why, it would nearly drive them crazy—to-day. But our story is laid in 1959 Joe looked glumly at the gentleman such a lot these days; make it two,” he said For answer the gentleman opened a valise which, as in the case of most wealthy men, he was obliged to use as a pocketbook, and drew out a roll of bills as thick as his arm. “we'll make it two."” “A thousand isn’t “Very well,’” he said pleasantly, The grandmother could contain herself no longer. “Two thousand dollars!"’ she cried rapturously as the gentleman peeled twenty one-hundred-dollar bills from his roll and handed them to Joe. “Why, land of goodness! we can git some cegs.”” “And the doll for Mame,"? shouted the grandfather “And a pair of roller skates for me—they're only twenty- three dollars,”’ cried one of the smaller boys. “T want a primer, I do,’ bawled Benjy. “I want a primer all about protection and the pauper laborers of Europe Isn't it protection that has given us all these good times, and raised prices, and given the country prosperity?" “That's a remarkable boy,’ said the gentleman, looking edie ® LIFE & ata 795 benignantly at Benjy; “he interests me. You ap preciate the prosperity of your country and the blessing of protection, don't you, boy?" “Yes, sir,” cried Benjy. “Quite right,’" said the gentle a manuiacturer and I appree just think, children,"’ he went on, holding up the dime impressiv fifty years ago this country was so dreadfully poor that you could actually buy things with this little coin, which is worth only a tenth of nan heartily te them, too. Why, a dollar. But, thank Heaven, those poverty-stricken days are long gone by. Now a dime is so rare that it is of great value to collectors. Well, well, I wonder what our grandfathers would have said when they started on their wise course of protectior $f they could have known that some day this country would be so prosperous that a man would give two thousand dollars for a dime. But I must go along Good night, all, and a Merry Christmas.”’ Merry Christmas,"’ cricd everyone but the grand mother. She, with a beaming face, was engaged in scribbling a list with Joe’s stub of a pencil on a serap of brown paper. This is the list Cranberries $10.00 Chicken 59.00 Potatoes 8.00 ck of flour. 22.00 Etcetra, Arthur M. Chose OPE hires the preacher, fear pays him, but doubt keeps I 1 his s down, “om, ETMEL! YOU OUGHT To RE 'SHAMED O° YOURSELF LET TIN’ THE LORD SEE YOU ALL UNMUTTONED.”” comicbooks.com