Life, 1911-11-30 · page 13 of 40
Life — November 30, 1911 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This 1912 political satire promotes Nelson W. Aldrich as a presidential candidate. The text praises his expertise in tariffs and currency—issues vital to bankers and economists. The top cartoon depicts Aldrich meeting with what appears to be a banker or financier, suggesting his close ties to wealthy interests. The bottom section, "Extracts from the Biography of a Vivivisector," uses dark humor to satirize Aldrich's character through a series of crude cartoons showing a baby-like figure engaged in increasingly disturbing behavior—from harming animals to conducting experiments. The term "vivivisector" (one who dissects living things) is a caustic metaphor for someone willing to harm others for gain, implying Aldrich ruthlessly pursued financial and political power regardless of consequences.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Life’s Presidential Candidates OR the Presidency in 1912 we beg leave to present the name of Mr. Nelson W. Aldrich. Mr. Aldrich needs no introduction to public office. He is an expert public offi- 1. He knows how to lower the tariff by increasing the duties, He knows how to make people prosperous by en- couraging those who traffic upon them. The campaign, fortunately, comes at a time when the bankers are acknowledging that the currency is unscientific. Mr. Aldrich can fix it. Being an expert, he can find out how much money there is in the public treasury and how much more the bankers would have if we took this money out and gave it to them. He could even figure out how much approximately the bankers could make out of this in a given number of years. We need some one for President who understands the currency in a way that nobody else can understand it. Mr, Aldrich is the man. Those Philippines I T has cost us $167,486,403 to keep our soldiers in the Philippines since the close of the year 1898. We sup- pose that someone somehow is getting some good out of this expenditure, for even our Government is not so foolish as to spend money in a far away land like this when so many politicians at home are needy. But it would take more than an expert bookkeeper to make it show up right on the Government books, to strike a trial balance which would show a profit on the invest- ment. So far as we callow laymen are concerned, it looks like a complete deficit, a total loss, a glowing example of what a foolish Government can do when it wishes to prove its foolishness. EARL Mm LiFe Re saoweo MARKED ASTITIOE IM ADMINISTERINGH The GERmicive BATA— i ui THAT POINT OF VIEW Reporter: MAVE YOU ANYTHING TO SAY IN REGARD TO T'S PROCLAMATION ? : YES; YOU CAN SAY POR ME THAT IT 18 A MIGH-MANDED CONSPIRACY AGAINST THE NATIONAL GOBBLERS’ CROP FILLING ASSOCIATION, SPEAKING FOR MY- SELF, 1 DO NOT DENY THAT 1 HAVE GOBBLED UP WITAT ‘WAS MINE, HAVE ROOSTED WIGH AND HAVE STRUTTED A LITTLE, PERHAPS, BUT THE MOST SEARCHING INVESTIGATION IAS YAILED TO REVEAL THAT 1 MAVE EVER TAKEN ANY MORE THAN BELONGS TO ONE OF MY STANDING AND CAPACITY. IT'S AN OUTRAGE, IF ONE CANNOT GET RICH AND FAT WITII- OUT MIS LIBERTY—EVEN IS LIFE—BEING PUT IN JEOr- ARDY, YOU CAN SAY ALSO THAT 1 AM CONVINCED THAT THE CRANBERRY TRUST AND THE FEATHER DUSTER TRUST ARE BACK OF THE WHOLE NEFARIOUS BUSINESS. He PRe Feanep CavTeA une A RaPO DeveroPinc A STRONG TALENT tt HAnoLing THe PRope— His Microscome IES BECAN BeroRe We could TALK, He was ADeNIsTeRIN ANAESTHETICS QAT The ace CANARY To Feeome Sy / Dispunreo Wf NeRove SRL in SURGERY Wine A mere Guts — EXTRACTS FROM THE BIOGRAPHY OF A VIVISECTOR comicbooks.com