Life, 1912-06-13 · page 17 of 44
Life — June 13, 1912 — page 17: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**Top Cartoon - "The First Wedding Breakfast"**: A chaotic scene depicting animals (appears to include bears, tigers, and snakes) at a wild party or celebration, likely satirizing a social event or political gathering through absurdist humor. **"Pensions" Section**: Satirizes President Taft's absence from Washington. The joke: Taft signed a $25 million pension bill while briefly visiting from campaign travel. The satire proposes paying him $10 million yearly to *stay away* from Washington entirely—implying his presence costs more in wasteful spending than his absence would save. **"Washington" Poem**: Mocks Washington politics as corrupt and ineffectual—senators absent, the president traveling, the cabinet vacationing in Newport, while only lobbyists (serving private interests, not public) actually work. **"A Public Benefactor" Dialogue**: Light satire on society women's philanthropic trends. Josephine forms an organization against new forms of auction bridge—a card game—suggesting frivolous "charity" among the wealthy. Overall: Political and social satire targeting government inefficiency, corruption, and upper-class pretension.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
ne THE FIRST WEDDING BREAKFAST Pensions RESIDENT TAFT managed to get back to Washington during the recent primary campaign long enough to sign a pension bill which makes a dif- ference of about $25,000,000 a year in disbursements. Under these circumstances, it seems to us that he is paid too little for his traveling expenses. The pre: allowance is $25,000 a year. If this allowance for traveling expenses could he increased to $10,000,000 ‘ar, and Presi- dent Taft kept away from Washington all of the time, it might be well worth while. WOMAN Washington song of Washington, ING a A city full of pie; Every other man you meet Is holding office high. When the Senate opens, No Senator's in sight; Just here and there a sleepy clerk To hold the country right. The President's in Kansas Repairing his machine. The Cabinet's in Newport A\dmiring the scene. Just lobbyists are on the job, In corridor and foyer, But that’s because the public is Their prey, not their employer. A Public Benefactor RET: Josephine has gone for a new sort of philan- thropy. Katnarine: Goodness! What? Marcaret: She has formed a society for the prevention of new forms of auction bridge. comicbooks.com