Life, 1910-04-28 · page 11 of 40
Life — April 28, 1910 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains editorial commentary rather than political cartoons. The main article "Which Shall the Fourth of July Be This Year?" discusses concerns about dangerous Fourth of July celebrations—specifically deaths from fireworks and explosives. Life advocates for a safer, quieter Independence Day. The accompanying photograph "The Morning After" shows the aftermath of such violence, depicting casualties. The secondary items are lighter: "Ignorance" is a philosophical essay; "Here and Now" discusses President Taft's stated belief in the present moment; and "Strictly Up to Date" contains brief social humor about visitors exchanging animals. The small illustration "A Bank Outsider" depicts someone swimming, likely a humorous social observation. The overall page mixes serious public safety advocacy with lighter social commentary typical of Life's satirical approach.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
‘LEP E* Which Shall the Fourth of July Be This Year? THE MORNING AFTER VERAL years ago Lire called at- tention pictorially to the destruc- tion of life on the Fourth of July through the senseless practice of shoot- ing off fire crackers, toy pistols and cannons. Other periodicals, following Lire’s lead, took up the matter, which finally spread, until the propaganda in favor of a quiet Fourth became general. In spite of this fact, however, the number of deaths last year through the celebration of the Fourth was as large, if not larger, than ever. Brethren of the Press, let’s keep up the fight this year with renewed ef- ae NEW book of etiquette has been published in London,’’ says a contemporary. One chapter is entitled How to Behave in Jail."" RS. ADAMS (of Boston): Now, promise me, Waldo, that you will never write anything you would be ashamed to send to the Atlantic Monthly. forts. Every parent and guardian in the country should be convinced that the memory of Independence Day can be kept alive without a lot of bois- terous carnage of young children. We reproduce on this page the orig- inal picture which, printed many years ago in Lire (July 10, 1902), started the crusade. This picture has been used many times. We gladly permit its re- production by any paper in the country. with credit to Lire. Or if our friends wish us to supply the cut, we will do so at the nominal cost of having it electrotyped. Strictly Up to Date ISITOR (in airoplanic apartments) What became of that beautiful little water-spaniel you bad on your yacht last summer? Hostess: Oh, he was so unfashionable up here that I exchanged him for a sky- terrier! 759 Ignorance HE increase of ignorance is te sur est mark of civilization. Time was when we knew all about the origin of man—that he was manu- factured deliberately and set down into a vale of tears cuphemistica the Garden of this knowledge was mere- ly a part of barbarism. With civilization comes the confession that we know nothing at all about it— that even our best gucss contains a missing link. , also, knowledge about the other world was for- merly common _ property. Almost any draughtsman could give us a rough sketch of it, showing the character of the hinge on the ¢ patent name on the timelock of cternity. The pavements of paradise, the antics of an is and the purpose of purgatory were once known to an. infini- tesimal nicety. But all that Knowledge is gone. Civili- zation is the cause. Civil- ization is but another name for darkness and ignorance s Ajar and the “Here and Now™ i is stated on good authority that though a good Unitarian in other respects, President Taft is rapidly be- coming orthodox on the hell question, only he believes it is “here and now.” A RANK OUTSIDER comicbooks.com