Life, 1912-06-06 · page 23 of 56
Life — June 6, 1912 — page 23: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains political satire about William Jennings Bryan's potential 1912 presidential candidacy. The text mockingly endorses Bryan, praising his experience as a repeat candidate who can persuade Americans to ignore their own interests—a jab at his three unsuccessful presidential campaigns and his reputation as a hypnotic public speaker. The top illustration, "Rounding Up the Herd," visually reinforces this metaphor: cowboys herding cattle under moonlight represent political operatives gathering voters like livestock. The "Mutterings" section presents class commentary through a dialogue between an Artist, Epicure, Athlete, and "Lean Workman," contrasting nostalgic upper-class figures with a working-class voice demanding simply to earn bread without bloodshed—likely referencing labor strife and industrial dangers of the era. The "Hoodoo Beliefs" section dismisses Irish Catholic superstitions while sarcastically linking African and Jamaican child sacrifice to vaccination—a cynical reference to anti-vaccination sentiment. "The Turtle Dove" illustration remains unclear in this context.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Arran tet ete an Mutterings HoRATIO WINSLOW I said the Artist, “long for the days of Phidias.” “For me.” said the Epicure, “the Rome of the later Republic, ngland and Drake,” sighed the Athlete, “Since | am neither Artist, Epicure. nor Adventure aid the Lean Work- man, “I wish only for life at a time when a man need not buy bread with blood.” Il. “How safe the world i: we watched the misshapen factory bat- talions, “ How can there be danger for upheld by all these broad ” 1 said as 1 world backs “Humph!” grunted the Lean Work man," for my part I think it is a shaky world which has hent all its caryatides question marks.” Ill. We looked through the plate glass at the gorgers as they bent themselves to their delicate cakes and liquors. “Sull” [said in defense, “a man is entitled to a certain amount of uxury.” he Lean Workman tightened his helt grimly “So T have come to think,” he said, “and very soon I shall pass my plate for mine.” INDING UP THE HERD Magazines sie a sony of magazines, of rot; Four and twe: stories With attenuated plot; Essays, “ pomes" and articles, Sloppy, dull and trite; Isn't that a pretty mess For people seeking light Life’s Presidential Candidates leave to WE tke name of Mr. William Jennings n for the Presidency in tot. In selecting a man for the arduous work present the of talking the American people into a hypnotic state where they understand their own interests even less than they do now, we should choo: ome who is used to it. Mr. Bryan has no Furthermore, he knows just nd he peer in’ this respe what it is to be a candidate, a would enter the lists with his eyes open if they did not see much. Ani not only that, but we owe Mr. Brya this honor. It is positively di the way we have treated him in the past. Mr. Bryan could. easily Chautauqua vote to the Solid South and, in case of necessity, he might be able to swing the Solid South to the Chautauqua vote. He is the only man who could do this. swing the “Hoodoo Beliefs” GPORGE BERNARD SHAW has uttered many plain truths durin his wild career. Here is one more: Ireland is, unfortunately, still full of superstition. The priests have a xood deal of trouble in fighting, not Protestantism, but a sort of hoodoo belief in fairies, witches, leprecha s, ghosts, spells and so forth. All that is needed to make this hoodoo fra ly African and Jamaic: of child sacrifice, and t what vaccination provides. is exactly THE TURTLE DOVE comicbooks.com