Life, 1910-03-31 · page 26 of 46
Life — March 31, 1910 — page 26: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains multiple satirical pieces typical of early 20th-century American political humor. The top cartoon depicts a man in a horse-drawn carriage, illustrating a joke about a stubborn horse whose "ears" won't stop moving—a pun suggesting the animal will work itself into a tantrum. This appears to be domestic humor rather than political commentary. The main text below mocks **Senator Aldrich's** recent claim that he could run the government for $300 million less annually. Life's editors sarcastically pose a series of rhetorical questions: Why doesn't Aldrich simply do it? Who benefits from current spending? The satire suggests Aldrich's statement is either empty campaign rhetoric or inadvertent admission that government waste exists—yet he won't act on it. A side note criticizes an unnamed American sculptress working in Berlin whose sculpture allegedly violates propriety standards, humorously questioning whether it will be displayed publicly if brought home. The page exemplifies Life's role as a platform for political criticism and social satire during the Progressive Era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“ALONZO, 1 WISH YOU'D MAKE IT STOP MOVING ITS FARS. FIRST TITING YOU KNOW IT’LL WORK ITSELF UP INTO A TANTRUM of intoxication of prohibition is known 10 them. When these ladies, therefore, strode into our office and fixe! us with their combined eye we realized that all re- plies were hopeless. We can only say that in our humble way we are doing as much if not more for the cause of tem- perance than they are. We have been sending our Seeing-the- Tenderloin Auto on hourly trips now for a year or more, and never once has one of our customers fallen out because he had too much. The following letter— among hundreds constantly received—is our best defense: Dear Bureau: Tam home again, thanks to you, and my wife is united to me once more. A year ago 1 left her and put myself in your charge. Since then I have visited the principal coun. tries of the globe, having made the round of your branches, I have had my fling, and am Satisfied. Wile has resigned from every CHILDREN SHOULD BE PUT TO BED AT THE SAME HOUR EVERY NICHT—oR A LITTLE FARLIER. “thing, and we are both reconciled to each other. We have settled nd honey- losed find check, being payment All due to you. down into what we call our s moon. Ei of our bil Gratefully yours, y. P. S.—Please send me two copies of your Galaxy of Beauties and full programme of Address my your entertainment committee. ofce. Remember, we take all cases of simple incompatibility, compound — incompati- bility, or hell on earth. Write fully. Terms moderate. Hussanos’ Corresronvence BUREAU. A Big Point Gained ENATOR ALDRICH has recently de- clared that he could run the Gov- ernment for $300,000,000 less per annum than it now costs, something like a third of what we are spending. What a flood of questions this state- ment sends surging to our lips. Why doesn’t Senator Aldrich go ahead and do it? Who is going to object? Isn't he the leader of the Senate? If not, who And why doesn’t the other fellow 1? Or doesn’t he know that it can be done? If not, wouldn't Aldrich be willing to explain it to him? And wouldn't he relinquish the leadership to Aldrich long enough to effect such an im- portant saving? And who is getting that $300,000,000? And do they know that we don’t necd them? And what is to become of them whea they loose this source of income? And wouldn't it be confiscation t> deny it to them? Is this statement a vindication of the muck-rakers? Or is it a bit of muck- raking on its own behalf? Is it cam- paign talk, champagne talk or sham-plain talk? THE LAND OF THE RISING SON At any rate, such an authoritative ad- mission upon such an important topic seems to be a big point gained. Ellis O. Jones Too Late for the Improper Number HY so much advertising of that piece of sculpture by an Ameri can sculptress who has worked in Berlin, whick is said to defy propriety in a man- ner to curdle the blood of all our bound- less West? The threat is ostentatiously made that she will bring it home. Well, are they going to put it on the road? E that minds his own business ill be asked to mind the business of others. comicbooks.com