Life, 1910-09-22 · page 24 of 40
Life — September 22, 1910 — page 24: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three satirical pieces about American public life circa 1909-1910: **"Administrative Vigilance"** mocks excessive government regulation—listing absurd laws from Texas, Illinois, Georgia, and Wisconsin (saloon distance requirements, mandatory weekly baths, betting prohibitions, hidden drinking cups). The satire suggests Americans are becoming too dependent on government to manage their lives, with the author sarcastically proposing museums preserve stuffed specimens of self-reliant twentieth-century Americans before the breed goes extinct. **"See the Taft"** is a dialogue mocking President William Howard Taft. Using golf metaphors, it portrays Taft as anxiously navigating political troubles: his "clean drive" (taking office) went awry when he hit "a Pinchot" (the Pinchot-Ballinger conservation controversy) and "a Roosevelt hazard" (tension with ex-President Theodore Roosevelt). The cartoon depicts fashionable women discussing Taft's awkward appearance and worried expression. **"Life Well Adjusted"** criticizes a wealthy polo player who evades New York court judgments while enjoying lavish Newport social events, suggesting the rich exploit jurisdictional gaps to avoid consequences.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
480 A Lesson from the French Oy truth I very clearly see, Repeating it still over I'd rather far be nouveau riche Administrative Vigilance read in the paper that Governor Campbell, of Texas, wants a law prohibiting a saloon within ten miles of any schoolhouse in Texas; that the resi- dents of Aurora, Illinois, have been or- dered by their Health Department to take a bath once a week; that Geor; has a new law prohibiting anybody from betting on anything, and providing pen- alti-y if they do; that Canfield has gone .o Mexico and taken with him all his aleatory apparatus; that the State Board of Health of Wisconsin has condemned public drinking cups, and that railroads running through that State have ordered their trainmen to hide the drinking cups in passenger cars while going through Wisconsin, Anybody who says that the people of the United States are neglected in these days by their governments doesn’t know what is going on. Every museum of nat- ural history should bestir itself while it is yet time and add to its collection a stuffed figure of a Twentieth Century American who could take care of him- self. The breed must be tending fast to- ward extinction, The museums should supply themselves with specimens while they can, Maybe Colonel Roosevelt might collect a few. See the Taft the Taft!” “Yes, it is the most rotund and avoirdupoised Taft I have ever bebeld.”” “What else do you notice? “T notice a jovial, expansive to have at least four di- smnile ‘ou know why the Taft such a generous smile?" “Because the Taft is happy. T pre sume.”" “You are wrong.” “Why, then?" “It is because the Taft knows you are wears ie. What do one is lookin “The Taft wears a worried look.’” “Do you mean to insinuate that the Joe the Taft wear when no Gite Cashing “SAY, MABEL, Can YOU SEX YOURSELF IN ANYTHING AS AWKWARD AS THAT Kier!” Taft is a hypocrite? ’’ “ By no means—merely that the Taft is engaged in playing politics."’ “But why the worried look?” “ Because, although the Taft drove the administration ball off the tee with a clean drive, on the second stroke it got into timber, struck a Pinchot and fell in the ditch, On the third stroke the ball struck a Roosevelt bazard. The Taft is now worried about the approach to the election green. If the Taft succeeds in making a good approach and follows that up with a good putt or two, the Taft will let out a few reefs in the aforesaid smile. If not, it will be the worrie+l look that won't come off.’” £. 0. J. Life Well Adjusted T was an amusing coincidence that the papers of September 4 should have recorded in one column the failure of the Sheriff of New York to find property to satisfy an execution against an emi- nent polo player, and in another column should have described the claborate luncheon given to fifty persons by the same polo player at Newport. The exe- cution was issued in New York to satisfy a fine for neglected jury duty. This eminent sportsman seems to have got things adjusted so that life is tolerable, assets, credit and pleasures in one State; duties and liabilities in another. comicbooks.com