Life, 1912-01-18 · page 15 of 44
Life — January 18, 1912 — page 15: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The top cartoon depicts six figures representing different political positions or constituencies, each gesturing while standing near a radiator labeled "EXPENSE OF SEAT AND LIGHT" and other budget items. This appears to satirize politicians arguing over government expenditures. The main article, "A Conundrum of Politics," cynically discusses Jewish immigration to America, speculating whether increased Jewish voters would make the electorate more fiscally responsible—referencing the "Sherwood Dollar-a-Day Civil War Pension bill" as an example of wasteful spending that supposedly wouldn't pass if voters were more arithmetically careful. The advertisements are satirical: one woman seeks to *buy* happiness after exhausting conventional luxuries; another brief dialogue mockingly defines "arbitration" as two powerful nations agreeing to equally divide a smaller country's territory. The page overall reflects turn-of-century American attitudes: ethnic stereotyping mixed with genuine political critique about corruption and fiscal irresponsibility.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Barner Comes ion Ineestmmen re MEAT Ano Lignt A Conundrum of Politics HERE are still about ten million Jews on earth who have not yet selected this country to be their home. Probably not more than nine million will ever settle here, but when even that many more come, and are assimilated WANTED —Happiness. (which, of course, will take time), what will be the effect upon our national and polit- ical character? Shall we be thriftier, more calculating, more, or less, volatile, grasp- ing, generous, scrupulous, agreeable? Perhaps if we had more voting Jews in our popula- tion it would not have been so easy to pass the Sherwood Dollar-a-Day Civil War Pen- sion bill through the House. lf our voters were a little more capable of arithmetical calculation, and somewhat more exacting in their views about the disposition of pub- lic moneys, that bill would have had a much more care- ful scrutiny. The papers say it will not become a law, even though, as has not yet hap- pened at this writing, it passes the Senate. Certainly it should not, for it is an ex- travagant and unjustifiable measure. But, after all, it is debatable whether an in- crease of Jewish voters would stiffen our electorate against extravagant measures, for, politically, Jews are a specu- Expense oF Seany of Saw teres “Caamnes Seevery® MA Stocking “Oh, believe me, if all those endearing young charms” Sermemen worsen, lation. Not that we know of in historical times have enough of them had a voice in any government to know what their governmental value and inclination is. An Advertisement Anyone having a little surplus happiness will find it to his interest to communicate with the undersigned. Lady with plenty of money is will- ing to pay liberally for hap- piness. It must be real hap- piness, Have tried all the other kinds, such as pet dogs, bridge, seaside hotels, ex- treme fashions, glittering jewelry, social climbing, di- vorces, snobbery, novel read- ing, scandal-mongering, shop- ping, ete. I think I'd like to change these for something useful, something that would make me loved by those with whom I come in contact. Something that will make me admired for what I do, ra- ther than for what I’ve got. Address Ida L. Rich, Child- less Villa, Long Greenside. Share and Share Alike, or the Brotherhood of Man APA, what does arbitra tion mean?” “Tt means that when two powers of equal strength get hold of a smaller country, they agree to divide it equally.”