Life, 1911-03-23 · page 11 of 44
Life — March 23, 1911 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This cartoon depicts two men in top hats exchanging a bag labeled "PENSION." According to the caption, the figure on the left represents Uncle Sam, and the satire concerns pensions provided to the wives of Union generals during the Civil War era (specifically referencing "the trying days of '64"). The cartoon mocks what appears to be a financial transaction or deal involving military pensions. The joke suggests that Uncle Sam is distributing pensions somewhat carelessly or questionably—implying these payments may be going to undeserving recipients or representing wasteful government spending. The accompanying text discusses contrasting attitudes toward dividend income and stock investments, though the specific connection to the pension criticism isn't entirely clear from the visible OCR'd text.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Uncle Sam: 4 PENSION? CERTAINLY. Contrast T’S easy enough to be pleasant when you get huge dividends on express company stock which represents no orig- inal investment, but merely the right to graft upon the people. But the man worth while is the man who can smile when he buys stock in a ELIGIBLE YOUR FATHER’S STEPBROTHER’S UNCLE PURNISHED FACE POWDER FOR THE WIVES OF UNION GENERALS DURING THE TRYING DAYS OF '64. mining company after reading a lurid prospectus, only to find that he has been grafted upon by others who are cleverer than he. A Life Subscription E sits on the sofa, from time to time opening his lips as though about to say something important, but cach time hesitating. At last the fair young thing looks up at him with a radiant sntile, her red lips parting de- liciously over her ivory teeth and her glowing eyes thrilling him to the soul. “Obey that impulse!" she mur- murs, He did, and in June she took him for life. comicbooks.com