Life, 1911-03-30 · page 33 of 45
Life — March 30, 1911 — page 33: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page combines satirical poetry with period automotive advertising. The main satirical piece, "Alter Idem" ("Same Here"), mocks voter illiteracy revealed in recent election polling. The poem describes an uneducated man—"poor clod, untutored and astray"—who cast his ballot without understanding the issues or candidates, despite newspapers (the Telegraph, Mail, Globe, Times) providing information. The satire critiques both the voter's ignorance and the contemporary debate about whether such voters should participate in elections. The surrounding ads—for automobile locks, steering wheel signals, and Rambler cars—are typical early 1900s product promotions. The page layout interweaves satire with commerce, characteristic of Life's format. The political commentary reflects Progressive Era anxieties about mass suffrage and voter competence, a common theme when immigration and expanding voting rights were transforming American democracy.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
LOCK YOUR AUTOMOBILE AND IT CANNOT BE STOLEN Put a Sachs, Landers Steering Wheel Lock on your motor car and hootlums cannot go “Joy riding" with your machine, ‘Absolutely safe wherever you leave it. Brass, $7.50. Nickel flaish, $8.00. State size of steering wheel post. Write to-day for descriptive information. — Sachs, Landers Mfg. Co., - San Francisco Alter Idem (‘Same Here") (The figures recently published show that some 42,000 “illiterates” polled at the last election. The lament of a con- temporary, that such voters could not have weighed the evidence on the ques- tions involved, has touched one “Tlit- ” to song.) © horrible! Most horrible! My flesh Creeps, and a shudder shakes my very - text, A . if Nie business man, grown weary of the discom- Neiioe the awful feta oat eee fort and delays of suburban trains, may have jo comes unlettered to a private car of his own and enjoy the privilege erate poll. Breathless, his country watches; ah, the loss If he should boggle darkling at the deed! A nation waits expectant of his cross, And he—he cannot read. Think of it, brothers. Down The Daily News Dripped the old platitude and diatribe ; Daily The Chronicle expounded views Beyond my pencil’s power to describe; DID YOU Get One of These Last Yea: ? If so, you know its good points already If not, order one at once from your dealer and qualify for that class of Constderate Motorists who are popular with the people and who get the most enjoyment out of their cars. Ask for JERICHO Bee Perfect Motor Car Signal, that “Warns Without ae Its strong claims are distinctiveness, ficiency and superiority as an agreeable warning signal — and it makes good every time, There's a size for every car, at $7. $8. $9, $10, secording to requirements, “No trouble to attach. maintenance cost. The Exhaust Blows It, TE RANDALL-FAICHNEY CO. Boston, U.S. A. We ca E BLine OIL and E GUNS too ee me Rooxter 11 of having an engineer subject to his own order. In the Rambler you experience the comforts of the parlor car and the speed of the express train, but avoid their delays. With forty-five horse- pore motor and forty-inch wheels you take the long stretches with exhilarating speed and glide over the rough places with gratifying ease. In crowded city traffic you en throttle down as slowly as a man usually walks. Tire trouble can never worry you with the Spare Wheel, now being adopted abroad as the best solution for the tire problem. Come to our salesrooms; step into this car; note the position of the adjustable steering illar; examine its many points of comfort and convenience. You will admire its graceful lines and the quality of its finish, We leave the decision to you. A telephone message to the nearest Rambler repre- sentative will bring this car to your door for your spection, ‘The new catalogue fs ready. Send for it. The Thomas B. Jeffery Company Main Office and Factory, Kenosha, Wisconsin Branches: Chicago, Milwaukee, Boston, Cleveland, New York, San Francisco New York Dealers : The Rambler Automobile Co, of New York, 38-40 West 62nd Street, New York The Telegraph had lessons for us each; The Mail remembered what The Globe forgot; Even The Times itself made bold to teach ; And he—he knew it not. O miserable flotsam! Seas of ink Bore him unconscious on their useless tide, Unable at their worst to make him sink In floods of yeasty phrases misapplied. 637 And so, poor clod, untutored and astray, He gave his suffrage to some empty name, Not knowing aught of truth or where it lay; And I—I did the same. —Punch, Houbigant ~ Pati Perfumes 4 and In Every Store Quali lity ,Only. comicbooks.com S rae of Highest | 1