Life, 1911-01-19 · page 13 of 44
Life — January 19, 1911 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes American politicians and political culture through three cartoon vignettes showing a man rushing to catch a clock/leaving hastily, labeled "GOING!" **"The Home of the Brave"** responds to a Canadian critic questioning why the U.S. boasts about bravery while seemingly lacking it. The article defends American courage historically but suggests modern politicians avoid discussing it—implying contemporary politicians are cowardly or hypocritical compared to America's past. **"Why There Are No Issues"** mocks campaign politics, arguing candidates avoid taking clear positions on substantive matters (saloon regulation, labor issues, cost of living, religious matters) to appease all voters and special interests. The satire suggests American politicians prioritize winning office over principle—a timeless critique of political expediency over conviction.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The Home of the Brave FRIENDLY critic in Canada wants to know why the United States continues to insist on calling itself the home of the brave. We are sorry we cannot inform him, We are reliably assured by historians that this was once the home of the brav- est people imaginable, exclusive of Indians and others not taxed, Assuming that to be true, are we living up to our reputation? On the other hand, should we live up to our reputation, or would it be foolish to live up to a reputation which one al- ready has? It isa nice point. Many biologists and sportsmen that the only reputation we should live up to is the one we do not possess, The Hon. Jack Johnson is undoubtedly a brave man. He is our leading Doctor of Bravery. But now that he has the championship belt, is anything else necessary ? If a man goes to college and receives a diploma proving that he is educated, doesn’t that mean that he is always educated ? We prefer to think that a nation is not expected to be brave all the time. The United States has in times past proved its bravery beyond peradven- Why There Are No Issues YROS in American poli- tics often ask why we have such a paucity of issues. The answer is simple. The object of a candidate is to get an office for the money and personal glorifica- tion there is in it and not as an opportunity to perform a social service. In order to get an office one must get votes. A vote saved is a vote earned. To take a decided position on a matter of im- portance is to lose the votes of those who disagree with that position. Pronounced opinions may be manly, but they are not good politics. That is why a candidate— Must discuss the liquor question in a way to satisfy both the saloon-keepers and the W. C. T. U. Must regulate railroads for the benefit of the people with- out making them less profitable. Must denounce the trusts in a way that the trusts approve. Must raise the salaries of employes without increasing the expenses of employers. Must lower the cost of living without reducing the prices of commodities. Must say a good word for God without antagonizing Mam- mon, To the credit of the American politician it must be ad- mitted that no age in history has produced his superior in this line of work. “TID the Motorfiends buy the new house they contem- plated?” “No. In fact, they traded their old home off for six fur coats.” conc! ture of doubt. Although the last formal test was over a century ago (we do not count the little tiff with decrepit Spain), we could easily “come back” if we wished. This is the best answer we can make to our Canadian friend as to the facts of our bravery. If, however, he wants to know why we should keep boasting about it in song and story, like a com- mon village bully, then we have nothing to say at all, VOTER is a man who shoots at things he does not understand with weapons that are not loaded. comicbooks.com