Life, 1911-11-02 · page 14 of 56
Life — November 2, 1911 — page 14: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains satirical political content from *Life* magazine, featuring two main sections: **"Our Thanksgiving Investigation"** presents a dialogue between Mr. Abbott (likely a journalist or investigator) and President Taft, questioning Taft's responsibility for the Thanksgiving Proclamation. The exchange mocks Taft's evasiveness—he refuses to confirm or deny authorship, claiming it lacks originality compared to other proclamations. This appears to satirize Taft's tendency toward non-committal political responses. **"An Advertisement"** presents an ironic wish-list of impossible political remedies: preventing workers' wage cuts, regulating trusts, curtailing railroad monopolies, eliminating graft—all presented as things that "cannot be made" happen. The satire criticizes the political establishment's inability or unwillingness to address economic inequality and corporate corruption. The bottom cartoon, "Election Day," depicts women with suffragette imagery (a hat and ballot), reflecting early 20th-century debates over women's voting rights.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
‘LIP Es Hiram Bug (the aeronaut)? 1 TELL You, THESE AIK FLYING MACHINES WON'T BE SUCCESSFUL UNTIL THEY CAN TRAIN "EM NOT TO LIGHT ON EVERY WEED THEY CoMY ro. Our Thanksgiving Investigation HANKSGIVING being under investigation, President Taft called to the stand. Mr. Asnott: The report has heen freely circulated that you are responsible for Thanksgiving Day. Do you care to affirm or deny that report? Mar. Tart: In view of the vention ! would prefer not to answer that question Mk. Comstock: I hand you a printed piece of paper. Will you please read it and tell the committee whether or not you recognize it? Mr. Tart: Yes tion. Mx. HaMMERSTEIN incriminating evidence? Mr. Tart: Not at all, except, perhaps, in the most tech- nical sense. By comparing it with other proclamations you it possesses no originality whatsoever; that pproaciting Republican con- That is my ‘Thanksgiving Proclama- Do you not consider it conclusive will see the it is merely a few nice words joined together out of re spect for a tradition. Mr. HamMuxstein: Please remember that you are un der oath, Mr. Taft. Now, do you mean to say that this is not a spontanecus inspiration designed to « cess of gratiiude over something which is not Mr. Tart t's it exactly. Mr, Dens: Can you conceive of any circumstances un der which you would have refrained from issuing a proc Jamation? Mr. Tarr: I cannot. Mr. Des: I will ask you a hypothetical question, Ii it should happen that, for the great majority of the people, Thanksgiving became an empty celebration, if not an ac tual insult to their condition, would you take any notice of that fact? Mk. Tart: Upon advice of counsel, I decline to answer The regular hour having arrived, the committee ad- journed. An Advertisement W* D At Once—A remedy. One that is easily ap plied, automatically adjusted and non-opposable One that cannot be made a polit the political orators to talking. the following: Help the workingman without raising his wages, short ening his hours or reducing his cost of living; Regulate the trusts without interfering with their or- ganizations or their dividends; Curtail the arrogance of the railroads without disturb- iii: atiele weated Fights or their overcantaltzations Amend the tariff without depriving the protected m: ufacturers of the special privileges to which they have al issue and will not set One that will accomplish grown accustomed ; Make the currency more clastic without taking it out of the control of the high financiers ; Abolish all graft without interfering with the business of the grafters. ELECTION DAY A SUFFRAGETTE + A ITAT = A BALLOT