Life — May 2, 1912 — page 26: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a political cartoon titled "Col. Gulliver," referencing Jonathan Swift's *Gulliver's Travels*. The central figure is labeled "OUTLAWS" and appears to be a large, brutish man wielding a club, surrounded by tiny figures representing various groups or institutions—notably including one labeled "ADMINISTRATION." The satire suggests that lawlessness or criminal elements ("outlaws") are overwhelming governmental authority and proper institutions, which are depicted as helpless Lilliputians. The Gulliver reference implies these "outlaws" are giant problems that conventional administration cannot control or restrain. The specific historical context remains unclear without additional dating, but likely reflects concerns about organized crime, gangsterism, or civil disorder during a particular period of American unrest.