Life, 1912-03-21 · page 16 of 52
Life — March 21, 1912 — page 16: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains political satire about early 20th-century American leadership. The main feature, "Guess Again," presents Supreme Court Justice W.O. Howard's scathing description of an ambitious, ruthless leader—comparing him to Caesar and Napoleon, praising his cunning and ferocity while criticizing his disregard for principles. The punchline reveals the target: **not President Taft**. This suggests the description actually applies to another prominent political figure of the era (likely Theodore Roosevelt or another contemporary politician), making the joke a veiled criticism delivered through misdirection. The top cartoon depicts a jury trial in California, while the bottom image shows a child's naive question about a minister—separate humorous vignettes typical of Life's satirical format. The satire mocks both the ambitious politician being described and implicitly criticizes Taft by suggesting someone *else* better fits this unflattering portrait.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
IN CALIFORNIA The Voice of the Judge: , GENTLEMEN OF THE JURY, AS YOU HAVE LISTENED ATTENTIVELY TO ALL THE EVIDENCE IN THE CASE—— “MOTHER, DOES THR MINISTER LIVE HERE, OR POFS HF COME POWN FROM HEAVEN EVERY SUNDAY?” Guess Again UPREME COURT JUSTICE W. O. HOWARD of Troy is reported as saying of a certain gentleman; “He has the daring of a madman, the instinct of a beast. “The temper of the populace he knows better than any other man alive. He is actuated by an appalling ambition. It is his fixed purpose that neither the fame of Cesar nor the renown of Napoleon shall eclipse him. “He ignores all obstacles, enemies, scruples, principles, promises, friends, criticism, commendation, pledges, the danger of disgrace. He is a stranger to cowardice. In battle he is ruthless. Opposition whets his ferocity. The hardest blows only make him grin. He is cunning, like an Indian; wise, like a wizard; tenacious, like a bulldog; magnetic, versatile, tireless, fearless, restless, relentless.” Wild words for a Judge. But of whom is he speaking? Can you guess? No, of course not. Well—it isn’t Taft. ee comicbooks.com