Life, 1910-06-02 · page 32 of 56
Life — June 2, 1910 — page 32: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This satirical piece mocks the American practice of railroad passes—free travel vouchers given to politicians and influential citizens. The author argues that while passes are highly desirable (he humorously credits them with his own "education and refinement"), they create moral hazard: recipients feel entitled to free rides and lose self-respect. The satire targets two things: first, the corrupting nature of perks that make citizens feel they deserve something without earning it (comparing pass addiction to opium); second, laws forbidding officeholders from accepting passes, which the author suggests keeps honest politicians OUT of office—implying that corrupt politicians willing to accept bribes are actually preferable. The Thackeray and Leech illustrations are historical examples of satirical art about excessive fashion and appearance, providing visual precedent for Life's own satirical approach.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
*LIFE* istoric ffi The Discomforts of Travel T is conceded that there is noth- ing more educating and refin- ing than conceded that nothing is more conducive to travel than free travel. It is also You can now under- stand why I am so highly educated and so refined. I know of nothing which so enhances the pleasure of a railroad trip as a pass. It smooths all the asperities and fatigues of the journey, “It maketh glad the wilderness and the solitary places, and maketh the desert to rejoice and blos- som as the rose.” I have often risen up and left a comfortable fireside, kind friends and solicitous creditors, and journeyed to remote and cheerful lo- calitics in which I was quite uninter- ested, lured thereto by the magic influ- ence of a pass. You all know how Svengali hypnotized poor Trilby simply y a few passes. passes. The immortal poet Longfellow was ‘way off when he wrote: ry not to pass,”’ the old man said, “Dark lowers the tempest overhead; The roaring torrent is deep and wide. And loud that clarion voice replied— “ Excelsior.” Now the old man probably advised the youth not to try the pass, because he knew if he did and got one he would never be asked to pay fare again with- out feeling that an outrage perpetrated on him. The opium habit is a positive virtue compared with the pass habit. The fact that one is in no way entitled to free transportation only stimulates one in the desire to ride at some other fellow’s expense. One of the most dangerous laws we have is the one forbidding office-holders to accept passes. It keeps our leading citizens out of politics. Some one said (in a moment of temporary aberration of mind) that he'd rather be right than fi ‘y V7 A a\*\ A CARICATURE BY THACKERAY OF LOUIS XIV Thackeray says: YOU SEE AT ONCE THAT MAJESTY IS MADE OUT OF THE WiG, THE HIGH-HEELED SHO! BARBERS AND COBBLE! AND CLOAK, ALL. flcurs-de-lis Bi S MAKE THE CODS THAT WE WORSHIP. PANGLED. . . . THUS DO Picture by John Leech, the famous English artist, showing that large hats were the subject of satire over fifty years ago. THE SEASIDE HAT WHAT 18 ENOUGH FOR ONE IS ENOUGIE FOR TWO. President; but I'd rather have an an- nual on the New York Central than be an assemblyman in the tents of wicked ness. (That's another Biblical queta- tion.) . The only drawback about using a pass (in addition to the loss of your. self- respect) is the harrowing thought which constantly hovers over you that in case of accident your mangled remains will be of no cash value to your afflicted family. It is a safe plan when traveling on a pass to spend a portion of your ill- gotten gains on an insurance policy. Then in case of accident your last mo- ments will be soothed by the thought that you have beaten the game both ways. But inasmuch as I have never succced sd in worming a pass out of the sleeping- car people, I feel at liberty to make a few remarks on that branch of the ra road service, not in a carping spirit, but more in sorrow than in anger. It is frequently remarked (especially in advertisements) that travel on our palace cars is the acme of comfort and luxury, and I guess they are about as perfect as they can be made and still p: dividends on diluted stock after a night in one, I always feel as comicbooks.com