Life, 1912-01-18 · page 18 of 44
Life — January 18, 1912 — page 18: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
## "Talks With Great People" — Senator Aldrich and Central Banking The top cartoon mocks **Senator Nelson Aldrich**, a wealthy Republican who championed a central banking scheme. The satire targets his apparent hypocrisy: Aldrich claims to protect Americans from financial panic through his central bank proposal, yet his reputation stems from profiting in the rubber business. The joke's punch comes when Aldrich candidly admits that Morgan, Rockefeller, Carnegie, and himself—wealthy industrialists—would benefit from the "elastic currency" system, not ordinary people. The interviewer praises his "nerve" for such brazen honesty about self-serving legislation. ## Lower Cartoons **"Ad Infinitum"** jokes about wealthy New Yorkers frequenting mirror-lined restaurants, with a caption about them avoiding their wives. **"It's Coming, Posterity"** criticizes New York City's billion-dollar debt, questioning whether municipalities can operate perpetually in deficit. The children's joke below plays on absent fathers. **Context**: This reflects Progressive Era skepticism toward finance capitalism and wealthy industrialists' influence over government policy-making.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
166 Talks With Great People W* came up to Mr. Aldrich standing on the steps of the Capitol and, grabbing him by the arm, led him off behind a pillar. “Look here, old man,” we exclaimed, “what are you trying to do with this Government, anyway?” Senator Aldrich drew himself up proudly. “T'm trying to save the American people from another panic that is likely to happen in the near future,” he said “Now my central bank scheme has the endorsement of everybody worth while.” We forced him down on one of the railings. “Let's talk this thing over frankly,” we said. “In the first place, you know your reputation is against you. They say that the rubber business was very much to your dis- credit.” “Don't I know more about finances than any other man in the country? Possibly excepting Canfield or Dick Croker. Don’t I know what a central bank would do in emergencies?” “Well, what would it do?” “Tt wouid provide an elastic currency that would en- able us to tide over any crisis that would happen.” “That's what you might call the stretching process?” “Weil, ye: “Very well, Mr. stretching process cither way “Why, the people whe want to benefit. The people who Aldrich; and who benefits by the “LT FE * eee meres hoe “Let's talk this thing over frankly ’ are really running the country, including myself, Morgan, Rockefeller, Carnegie and a few other disinterested philan thropists. Weil, it’s going through,” he said stolidly, as he looked up at the Capitol dome. “Well, Mr. Aldrich, in these days, nothing succeeds like nerve, and you've got it!” It's Coming, Posterity ! EW YORK owes about one bil- lion dollars. That is, to the ex- tent of about one billion dollars, New York has not been able to pay as it went. Although it has full power to collect taxes, it has never collected enough. It has never lived within its income. As a consequence, or perhaps as an alternative, this big proud city has gone to private individuals and borrowed money, and for this humble act it must, of course, pay handsomely in the form of interest. When does New York expect to pay off this debt? Or is debt, eternal and ever-increasing, a necessary part of a zed municipality. 0. J. “CHILDREN, who is your father?” AD INFINITUM Mr. Younghusband: 1 wisn, MARIE COMING 10 THESE MIRKOR-LINED RESTAURANTS YOU WOULDN'T INSIST ON “Why, he’s the man who stays at home with us on Sundays.” “And your mother?” “She is the lady he tells us about.”