Life, 1911-09-28 · page 27 of 42
Life — September 28, 1911 — page 27: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains two separate satirical pieces: **"New York Intimidated by Italian Criminals"** (left column): A political attack on "Big Tim" (likely Big Tim Sullivan, a Tammany Hall politician), criticizing the Sullivan Law—which restricted firearm possession without a license. The satire argues that this law was adjusted to protect Italian criminals from prosecution rather than to protect law-abiding citizens. The piece claims 5,000-7,000 Italian criminals operate freely in America, intimidating authorities. It sarcastically questions whether law-abiding New Yorkers must surrender constitutional rights because Italian immigrants ("the scum of Naples") threaten the city. The cartoons illustrate absurd scenarios (a motorcycle like a rocking chair, a mild socialist, an elevated train) captioned "as they sound." **"Woman Question and Suffrage Question"** (right column): This dismisses women's suffrage activism as overblown, arguing the vote isn't women's primary issue. The author skeptically questions why women don't vote, suggesting excuses about male oppression are exaggerated. The closing cartoon shows a burglar caught—a punchline about bad luck unrelated to the text. Both pieces reflect early 20th-century satirical magazine style: anti-immigrant sentiment and dismissiveness toward women's rights advocacy.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
~~ If Things Were as They Sound AN ELEVATED TRAIN LIKE THIS “LIFE- New York Intimidated by Italian Criminals HE Sullivan law forbidding citi- zens of the State of New York to have firearms in their possession without a license may be described as another effort by Big Tim to adjust the laws of New York to the needs of his Italian constituents. Something can be said in support of Big Tim's ¢ but much more can be said for a searching and persistent effort to adjust Big Tim's constituents to the laws of New York. No doubt the decent Italians who stay here will be so adjusted in the course of time; in the second generation, if not com- pletely in the first. But the bad Ital- ians should get the heavy end of the stick. The newspapers say there are from five to seven thousand guaranteed Italian criminals in full practice in this country, Their crimes, directed chiefly ‘inst their own countrymen, are of daily record in the papers, especially in New York, Are our authorities un- able to handle these persons? Must the Revolutionary flintlock and the Gettysburg musket pay a license to stay on the walls of houses in this State because the scum of Naples in- timidates New York? What about it, Mr. Ga What about it, Mr. Waldo? What about it, Big Tim? > 533 Woman Question and Suffrage Question HE woman suffrage question is too much discussed as though it was the whole woman question. Suf- fragists try to make it seem so, prac- tising to make all women’s rights, lib- ertics and privileges appear to depend on her vote. And, by the way, why doesn't she vote, anyhow Is it really because for a hundred million years—or whatever the period as been bullyragged by Man, who somchow got the start of her? Or is it because she was born without a-union card, or whatever it is that has made voters of men? This period—a hundred million years—is a long time for any competent squad of folks to continue to be oppressed. If that is charged it will be said that Woman is probably Irish—so handsome, so clever, i ant, and yet such m of inevitable is—she Can it be that the reason women do not vote is that Man has always been a Monster? Or may it be that the vote is kept from her for fear she will learn how little there is in it and be discouraged? Maybe so; maybe so! Who can tell? But anyhow, the woman ques- tion and the woman suffrage question are not the same thing and not very closely connected. Burglar: Just MY LUCK, LATE AS USUAL comicbooks.com