Life, 1911-09-14 · page 27 of 46
Life — September 14, 1911 — page 27: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three distinct satirical pieces typical of early 20th-century Life magazine: **"Sorry for David"** mocks Upton Sinclair's divorce and custody arrangements. The piece attacks both parents for abandoning parental responsibilities, sarcastically noting that David's mother claims he shows "reasoning faculty" while she herself talks nonsense. The satire suggests the child will suffer from parental selfishness. **"Roadside Signs"** and related pieces discuss contemporary labor and political disputes, including the McNamara case (likely referring to the 1911 Los Angeles Times bombing). References to "Kidnapped" stamps and General Otis suggest debate over labor defense fundraising and anti-union sentiment. **"The Blessings of Poverty"** offers a brief comic dialogue where a poor man earning $15/week claims contentment, joking that earning more would attract gold-diggers seeking marriage. The tone throughout is mordant social criticism targeting both progressive reformers and contemporary labor disputes, characteristic of Life's satirical approach to American politics and society.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Sorry for David So far as David is concerned, neither Mr. Sinclair nor myself has 3 except the welfare of the child. W shall try to sce that he does not lack the attention and care either of a father or of a mother.—Mrs. Upton Sinclair as reported in the Sun. AVID is the child of the Sinclairs (about to be divorced) of whom his mother says that he “already shows in- dications of a distinct reasoning faculty. He can hardly have got it from her, if she really thinks she is talk sense. So far as David is concerned his par- ents have done their selfish worst for him, repudiating obligations which it would take both of them to fulfill and which neither of them can meet alone. David is the fact by the light of which the essential nonsense of all his moth- cr’s amusing bleatings in the newspapers most readily becomes apparent. David is dished. His mother has quit her man and quit her job, and David is not going to have a fair chance to grow up to be a good man. We are sorry for David. A PARTING Roadside Signs signs on the New York State are now unlawful, and any friend of the land- scape is at liberty to pull down and de- high- stroy them wherever they are found. But do not pull down legal notices or auction bills and other such notices that are temporary and concern matters of local interest. Discussion by Stamps S to the matter of the McNamara Legal Defence Stamps and whether they can go through the mails, Secretary Morison of the American Federation of Labor was quoted as saying: I don't see what the Department can find about the McNamara stamps that is objectionable. They do not resemble ordinary postage stamps: they do not bear numerals on their face and they merely state“ Kidnapped " under McNa- mara’s portrait, which was true. “Kidnapped” is an expression of opinion. Burns and his side would not admit that it is true. If these stamps go in the mails, we may look to see Gen- eral Otis get out a rival issue with “Dynamiter"” under Me trait. How would Scereta: like that? Discussion of would doubtless swell the revenues of the Post-Office, and if Mr. Hitchcock is a really thrifty person he will encourage it. Closed Shop and Sherman Law HE fight for the closed shop and the Sherman Anti-Trust Law is irre- concilable. They cannot both go on Clarence Darrow sces and admits as much as that. He would let the corpo- rations combine all they want to and the mara’s por- Morison this nature trades-unions combine against them. The ideal of the closed shop is the whole body of labor under a discipline of its own and hound to obedience to the will of a majority of its members. Of course that means an immense labor trust. The Blessings of Poverty LUB: “And you say your are satis- fied to be making only $15 a week?” Duv: “Sure. If I made more than that, some girl would come along and want to marry me.” comicbooks.com