Life, 1910-02-24 · page 14 of 36
Life — February 24, 1910 — page 14: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three distinct satirical pieces: **"What Caused Those Floods"** mocks Cardinal Gibbons's suggestion that French floods relate to church-state conflicts. Life sarcastically implies the Church and government could coexist peacefully without Vatican interference, and jokes that French comic papers are so scandalous they're dangerous to public safety. **"Saving"** attacks postal savings banks as bad for business. The satire argues that encouraging thrift is economically harmful because consumer spending—funded by debt and credit—drives commerce. Saving threatens profits, so the system requires citizens to spend beyond their means. **"More Than Words"** and **"Skylarks"** are brief humorous observations: one praises truthful journalism; the other riffs on an old proverb that beautiful women marry easily, adding the modern twist that they also divorce easily—a jab at marital instability. The bottom cartoon shows a woman in a bathtub refusing to open the door, claiming it's warm inside, while presumably someone outside worries about her catching cold—a simple domestic humor piece.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
322 What Caused Those Floods (Sse Mid GIBBONS is quoted in the papers as feeling that the recent high water and extensive flood ages in France are very suitable to be considered in connection with the sore troubles of the French church and the way the French government has used it. Perhaps so, but does not his grace sus- * pect that if the French church and the French government had been allowed to adjust their concerns without help or hindrance from Rome, it might have been possible to get along without these floods? We have supposed so. Besides, there are those who say the comet had much to do with the floods. What times! What men! Noah was fortunate in living before science had been invented or scientists had become versed in explanation. The comet theory and the theory of displeasure. with France match up together very well. Displeasure must have its instrument and what handier one could there be than a comet? For our part, acquaintance with the French comic papers (which we always examine through smoked glass and be- hind the door) had prepared us long ago to hear of floods in France and not to be surprised at it. One reason for get- ting out the Improper Number of Lire dam- eT qennses *LIE E* was to give our French brethren some points about preparing the sort of publi- cation they aim to produce without ime perilling the public safety. Saving ROM the general business standpoint, exclusive of special interests, the chief objection to postal savings banks is that, by providing absolute security, they encourage people to save. It is not good business to encourage péople to save. When they save they do not spend, and when they do not spend some one goes without a profit. Business requires us all to live right up to the limit of our resources, with a large dole of credit into the bargain. The only thing that keeps us going at all'is the fact that we have to keep on handing out our meager savings for the necessaries of life. More Than Words N impartial correspondent, in speak- ing of a certain New York dai says: Lire. is the only comfort—one is sure of whole-hearted truth there, and absolutely you are the only one with no axes to grind, no person to dominate you, no one to truckle to. If you could know what a joy it ist We do know what a joy it is. There is nothing like it. SKYLARKS, 4 “QHE who is born a beauty is half married,” says an old proverb, and nowadays she is also about half di- vorced. “1's SORRY I CAN’T OPEN THE DOOR, FREDDY, BUT I AM JUST TAKING A BATH,’? “RUT YOU WON'T CATCH COLD, AUNTIE It’s WarM HERE.” comicbooks.com