Life, 1910-03-31 · page 11 of 46
Life — March 31, 1910 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes King Pierpont's authority and the claims of change in the "New Régime." The main portrait shows "Our Beloved King" in military dress uniform, a caricature suggesting autocratic rule despite democratic pretenses. The text addresses reader complaints that nothing has actually changed under this new regime. It defends King Pierpont as "one of the most modest men who ever lived" who avoids publicity—ironic given the prominent royal portrait. The satire mocks the gap between promised reforms (pensions abolished, revenues increased) and actual governance. The cartoon at bottom right, captioned "Washington Society Has Been Placed in Charge of Mrs. Carrie Nation," suggests absurdist reorganization of American institutions. This appears to be pre-Prohibition era political satire about ineffectual reform movements and authoritarian leadership.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
*LIFE® The New Regime Our Beloved King and His Quiet Sway. IFE is receiving 9 great many letters from various parts of the empire who claim that they do not know that any change has taken correspondents in IV form of our government, One place in the and asking us if it is really true man writes: “LT have been reading the New York OUR BELOVED KING How He Is Endearing Himself to the Hearts of His People Tribune for years, and there is no men- tion in it of King Pierpont under the impression that we are a free people and cannot understand your lished accounts.”* I have been We can only reply that any man who has been reading the Tribune as long as our correspondent says he has and is still laboring under the area free people wouldn't believe any- thing. Such a man would not believe that Cook didn't discover the pole. Another gentleman writes “T have seen no mention of it I should be sorry to think that your readers.”* impression that we any- where you are imposing upo! To this correspondent and all others we would say that it is nothing remark- able that * of one of the greatest changes in re- corded history. It is well known that King Pierpont is one of the most modest men who ever lived. He does not desire fact and has given strict orders not to have it pub- lished, except in Lire, and he has given us his royal permission only with the un- “no mention '* has been made to have the ntioned, derstanding that we shall do hint strict justice. We may say that we tremble as we write these words for fear we shall commit some breach of royal eti quette. the King is mag nanimous Since Nevertheless, affairs in this kingdom continue to move with preci- sion. A great crisis has been passed From now on we shall look for continued the coronation prosperity. Lord Taft says the never better Pensions have been abolished Pierpont no longer needs the vote. Harper's Weekly has been subsidized revenues were King “WASHINGTON SOCIETY WAS DEEN PLACED i CHARGE OF MPS. CARRIE NATION comicbooks.com