Life, 1911-02-16 · page 11 of 44
Life — February 16, 1911 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is satire mocking the Boy Scouts organization, founded by Baden-Powell and Ernest Thompson Seton. The text proposes an alternative "Boy Grafters" organization to teach American boys the "principles" of corruption and unethical conduct—what appears to be a biting critique of Gilded Age graft and corruption. The illustrations show boys at different ages (12, 14, 15 years) being trained in: handling money dishonestly, delivering bribes ("milk"), understanding property theft, learning manipulation, and eventually "buying a legislature" at seventeen. The satire targets widespread corruption in American politics and business of the era, suggesting that if Boys Scouts teach success-building skills, then logically a "Boy Grafters" organization could systematically train young people in the endemic corruption pervading American public life.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
* Labbe The Boy Grafters A New Organization, Which Will Fit Our Boys for Public Life ing in all its various forms will be taught at such an early age that its principles will become second nature at a time when the boy's character is developing. much time will be saved. It is hard to become a grafter late in life. Grafting is now recognized as being the most power- ful force in our civilization. HE organization of Boy Scouts, founded by General Baden-Powell and Ernest Thompson Seton, is doing much for the physical welfare of our children. What is really needed, how- ever, is an organization which will en- able them to carry on the grand work of running the country. For this purpose Lire has organized The Boy Grafters. Any American boy is eligible. Graft- a success. Our Boy Grafters will be taught every- thing necessary. They will not, however, be forced. At twelve every Boy Grafter will be taught ordinary business methods, such as the simple adulterations of foods, in- volving only the most rudimentary chemical principles. At thirteen he will be obliged to make a pool of some sort. The idea is not to make him successful at all pools, but to get him used to the methods of mak- ing them. At fourteen he will be taught a great number of religious precepts and how to apply them at the right moment. At fifteen he will begin on the mag- nate’s arithmetic course and all the simpler forms of bond issucs will be shown. He will be obliged to combine something if only dog houses. At-sixteen he will be made to deliver a lecture on the rights of property, in which he ought to be able to show that those who have property are to be pro- tected from those who have not, because of the sacredness of the obligations of capital. At seventeen he should be able to buy 2 legislature. Thus Without it few would make As The Boy Grafters progress, certifi- cates will be given to them showing their grade. Any Boy Grafter who gets into jail will be disbarred from the organiza- tion, the rule being, above all things, to Preserve the appearance of eminent re- spectability. The organization will be in charge of one of the most competent magnates in the country. We have such a wealth of material that it is hard to choose. Mr. comicbooks.com