Life, 1912-05-30 · page 9 of 44
Life — May 30, 1912 — page 9: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**The "Patriotism" Cartoon (top left):** Shows a figure at a U.S. Army/Navy recruitment station, expressing internal conflict about military service versus political affiliation—unable to decide which uniform to wear. The satire critiques how partisanship interferes with patriotic duty during wartime. **The Titanic References (main text):** The page discusses Father Byles from the *Titanic* disaster, criticizing claims that third-class passengers were locked below decks. It argues this narrative falsely portrays class discrimination to score political points against whoever is currently in power. **Overall Point:** The page satirizes how Americans weaponize real tragedies (like the *Titanic*) to pursue partisan politics rather than addressing genuine problems. It argues both parties exploit patriotism opportunistically.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
RECRUITING ii] STATION AO Waeen — PATRIOTISM The Large One: say, Lizzie. I'VE MADE UP MY MIND TO ENTER THE SERVICE OF MY COUNTRY, BUT CAN'T DECIDE WHICH UNIFORM WOULD BE MOST BECOMING. oring for renomination, but even for there are important compensa- tions this year. It is better than to have him gagged in Washington, wait- ing for the axe to find the thin spot in his political neck. It is better for both parties to fight out any internal dissensions that they may contain than to go smothered to a gagged con- vention and come smothered out of it, to start on a campaign in which men’s true feelings cannot find vent. Multiplication of parties is not a good thing in our system, but some- how, this year, the voters ought to have such a real choice of candidates that every voter may find some one running who stands for the political hopes that are predominant in that voter's mind. Mr. Roosevelt speaks of the pro- posal to have a six-year-term for the President and no re-election as a Tom-fool proposition. Possibly, but something like it seems bound to come. The President now has two sets of duties, one set that pertains to him as the national executive, an- other as the leader of his party. The functions that in England are divided between the King and the Premier are united in the President. We like our President to be judicial and decorous, but if he is to be up te his eyes in politics every minute, he cannot be either. That is what has made so much trouble for Mr. Taft. He can be judicial and decorous, and is a good hand to dedicate a monument, but when it comes to being a party leader besides, he hasn't the cards. Have we got to overhaul the Presi- dency and split it in two? A President whose job is to be de- corous and judicial may well have a definite term, and a long one, but a should hold office as long as jes suit the voters, and lose it have seen nothing to confirm the recent assertion of the Even- ing Journal, made and reiterated, that 520 persons were locked bencath the decks of the sinking Titanic, There is abundant testimony to the contrary. From the English investiga- tion comes this: As Joughen (the chief baker) came up from below he noticed that 1105 the emergency doors between the second and third-class sections were open, giving the third class pas- sengers direct access to the boat deck. He saw women passing through with bags. America, a Roman Catholic weekly, in speaking of Father Byles, who was on the Titanic, says: It is now ascertained that he not only ministered to the spiritual wants of the victims to the end, but had saved many of the survivors by going down repeatedly to the steer- age, bringing up the female pas- sengers and putting then on the life- boats. In both services he was as- sisted by two other priests. These three priests died at the post of duty. One woman who was in the steerage tells of being awakened three times and told to go on deck. Finally she went, and got into a boat. What basis is there then for the as- sertion that 520 third-class passengers, or anybody else, were locked below? Ree 8 [He government is loudly called upon to coin three-cent pieces and half cents. The three-cent pieces are called for by the Mayors of Cleve- land and Toledo, ies of Ohio, where they would be convenient for use in paying street-car fares. This need might be met, it would seem, by tick- ets. To the general public, we believe, three-cent pieces would be a good deal of a nuisance, even though they had holes in them, or scalloped rims to dis tinguish them from dimes Much more serious, however, is the objection to a coinage of half cents. A leading use of coined cents at the present time is to buy newspapers with. Newspapers are now made to be sold for the least valuable coin we have. If half cents are coined, it seems inevitable that many newspapers will promptly be sold for half a cent. But that seems inadvisable. We don’t want any worse papers than we have now. Neither do we want any cheaper ones. The advertisers pay most of the cost of producing newspapers as it is, and are considered in proportion to the importance of the tribute they pay to counting rooms. Readers pay too little now and should not pay less. comicbooks.com