Life, 1912-05-23 · page 37 of 44
Life — May 23, 1912 — page 37: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page combines advertisements with satirical commentary on American corruption. **The Main Satire:** "The Need for New Graft Styles" mocks how American society tolerates wealth-building through dishonest means—"graft"—as long as the methods are novel. The author argues that old corruption methods (used by current "magnates") have become tired and legally restricted, so society essentially demands criminals invent *new* schemes. References to Barnum and P.T. Barnum's philosophy about people enjoying being "humbugged" underscore the cynical view that deception is central to American life. **The Point:** Early-20th-century corruption has become so normalized that the real complaint isn't graft itself, but *repetitive* graft. The piece satirizes how the wealthy face legal consequences only when their schemes become dated enough to offend public sensibilities. **Advertisements:** The page also features typical era ads for a cedar chest (moth-proof storage) and "Hip-Fit" trouser supporters—practical goods marketed to male readers. The satire reflects Progressive Era anxiety about unchecked corporate corruption and hypocrisy.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
blll dei y oth-Proof Cedar Chest . —away with suspenders and belts La a The Need for New Graft rey Absolute Cares : Comfort Protection Styles Against Moths To assert that this country has reached the limit of its resources in matters of he ont seal Seat oo ’ vou eme " Adopt the only practical a sal) H graft would be the extreme of pes aden the etty precicel simism. It is but the bare truth, how- Suspenders are uncomfortable—ungainly—they ever, to say that new styles of graft are dragthey make men stoop they make them not being invented fast enough to sus- bar apron tr eed pce rh tain the reputation we have established. Wear Stanford ‘‘Hip-Fit” When Barnum said people liked to be The “Invisible” trousers supporter entirely Yectory to, you at taalery priors Peeignt humbugged, he did not mean they liked climinates suspenders and belts—gives perfect KPREEL Send or big $6 page Mustrated tree comfort—perfect neatners—perfect borily free- E d prices and particulars of tree offer. dom at all times, under allcircumatances. Can't PIEDMONT RED CEDAR CHEST CO.., Dept. 12, Statesville, N.C. Can't bind. Can't work out of adjustment. wae ae Takes all weight and pressure off the shoulders. Has elastic over hij ds to every movement—pressure gentle and evenly an abdominal support. Sanitary—Cool—Serviceable Thousands in use, alll giving perfect satisfaction—no boy or man will wear suspenders or belts alter wearing a“ Hip- If your tailor or cannot supply you, nd waist measure taken snugly above hips under trousers, accompanied by money order for $1, and we will promptly fill your order. faction Guaranteed or Money Refunded For men with protruding abdo- men requiring more than ordinary sup- port, we make a combination trouser and stomach supporter, Price, $1.50, HIP-FIT MFG. CO. 59A GRAND ST., NEW YORK —— Tailors, Dealers ,and Side Line Salesmen arei nyited to write us to be humbugged over and over in the same way. Graft is like lightning in its aversion to leaving cards twice at the same residence. Organized society con- siders new graft just as important as new clothes. If a man wears old clothes we throw him into jail instanter as a “vag” or “on suspicion.” If a man tries an old graft, we stop his mail with- out even the apology of a due process of law. We do not object when men get rich x quick, but they must find new ways— ays that haven't lost their picturesque- 7 ness. The ways that made our present race of magnates are out of date and For sixty years we have used the best materials and must soon take their place with bue- caneering and other relics of the past. inventions to make Schlitz pure and keep it pure. | These magnates we are willing to retain ‘We'ge'to Bohemia for hope: | and support as discoverers, just as we i grant patents or honor the memory of We go 1,400 feet down to rock for pure water. Columbus, but belated imitators must be- ware. Our yeast, from which we propagate the mother cell. Sao So it is. All of the recent honorable has been carefully guarded for sixty years. forms of grafting are losing their zest. ‘ Trust extortions, —_ overcapitalization, ere is no purer beer brewed. 'e keep it pure, too, ; short weights, adulterations, land steals, Th beer brewed. We keep it t o hts, adul land steal from the brewery to your glass, by using the Brown ; franchise grabbing, protective tariffs and se on are becoming trite, and, therefore, unbearable. We have become so tired of them that stringent laws have been and more will be passed. Nor is it an @ ei A answer to say that many of these laws i do not work. They will work or we'll Order a case a know the reason why. denis ty d s Barnum’s dictum is as good to-day as Seethatoroeae ; ever. We still want to be humbugged, or cork is ; i but in new ways, That's the reason we branted j never pass laws against new grafts. “Schlitz”. We. Only when they get old, after the re- formers, those pestilential pioneers, have worried us to death, after the muck-rakers and the magazines have en- That Made Milwaukee Famous.! “"““""""""" comicbooks.com Bottle. Light starts decay, even in pure beer.