Life, 1911-05-11 · page 18 of 44
Life — May 11, 1911 — page 18: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains satirical essays typical of Life's early 1900s format. "The Idle Poor" is *sarcastic social criticism*: the author pretends to argue that poor people should be punished for idleness, but the absurdity (suggesting the medical profession prevent poor people from being born) reveals the piece *mocks* this attitude. The essay satirizes those who blame poverty on laziness while ignoring systemic problems like over-production and trust monopolies. "Oh, Mothers!" criticizes anti-vaccination advocates, calling vaccination opposition "guackery." "Death and Business" sardonically notes the hypocrisy: when businessmen die mysteriously, associates claim business won't suffer; when corrupt businessmen die naturally, they're called "irreplaceable." The illustration captioned "Election Day, 1912" shows figures in period dress, likely referencing that year's contentious presidential election.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
eB : The Idle Poor Ww have heard so much talk about the idle rich of late that perhaps it is just as well to say a word about the idle poor. The idle rich are, compared with the idle poor, comparatively few in num bers; their idleness therefore is not nearly so reprehensible. But the idle poor need to be reproached and criticised as much as possible, in order to turn them from the error of their ways. They ought to know better. They are a menace to the State. A system of fines and punishments should be inaugurated for any poor man who is caught being idle. At present the thing is done only in a half-hearted manner. If he is caught stealing a loaf of bread in order to keep himself alive during his wicked idleness, he is promptly clapped in jail; but this method is really ineffective. It doesn't get at the root of the matter, He still continues to be idle. : The specious plea on the part of the idle poor that they are constantly looking for work and cannot find it on account of over-production, duc to the trusts, is, of course, a slander on everybody concerned; it is one of the hypocritical methods which they employ to make us think that they don't want to starve to death. The unfortunate part of the whole business is that the idle poor cost money to maintain, So do the idle rich, but that is another matter. The idle poor have to be fed—in a way; and clothed—in a way; and this is a great drain on the State and something that ought to be stopped. The root of the whole matter lics in the first place in heing born. Nobody ought to be born who insists upon being idly poor. Why not let the medical profession take this up?” M*s is a thermometer, woman the temperature; the ther= mometer is subject to changes of temperature. “witoat HACK ! Oh, Mothers! something to pin on baby's eri of a child with a filthy animal ast God and Jluman Nature f us person regards it accord: fier. medical man, I assert that vaccination is an invult to se, the most gigantic piece of guackery ever exploited ized people in this or any age of the world’s history. lr, WR. Had m AER. Ce SS. Death and Business when a prominent business man commits sui- cide or suddenly dies under mysterious circumstances his business associates hasten to issue a reassuring statement that the occurrence will in no way affect the business? And why, on the other hand, when a prominent business man dies under ordinary circumstances, after a long period of successful adulterating, short-weighting and other scul- duggery, his busi a nnounce that his loss is irreparable? ELECTION DAY, 1912 comicbooks.com