Life, 1912-06-20 · page 25 of 44
Life — June 20, 1912 — page 25: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This poem by Wallace Irwin satirizes a common political pretense: the candidate who claims not to seek office while actively campaigning for it. The cartoon depicts a man at a voting booth being asked "Can you vote, too?"—likely mocking women's suffrage debates of the era. The accompanying poem describes a politician who publicly maintains he "seeks no office" and merely waits for "the Nation's call," yet simultaneously spends a million dollars, hires press agents, charters delegates across 47 states, and campaigns relentlessly at dinners and barbecues. The irony peaks at the convention: despite all his efforts, the party nominates someone else. Undeterred, he returns to his farm uttering the same refrain. Irwin skewers the hypocrisy of candidates performing false modesty while engaging in aggressive self-promotion—a timeless political behavior. The humor targets both the candidate's transparent duplicity and voters' willingness to accept such obvious pretense.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Waiting first’ the boomed, HEN party cannons The man for cares of state fore- doomed Sat on his porch and stroked his mane And tried to look exceeding plain. Reporters asked this statesman good Of his ambitions, how he stood. “T seck no office,” murmured he, “But if the Nation calls for me— In spite of which he got to work And borrowed money like a Turk. He chartered willing delegates In more than forty-seven States; He spent a million, more or less, “CAN you vote, T00?” Employing agents for the press To prove it was his noble whim To wait the Nation's call for him. Indifferent to Fame (of course), He talked till he was very hoarse, At dinners, socials, barbecues. He gave disinterested views On Tariff, Congress, the Recall. “T know the way to run ’em all; Not that I seek the job,” said he, “But should the Nation call for me——” Convention Day dawned bright and clear. ‘The Choosers came from far and near, Each strung upon his private wire. Theatric thunder and false fire Frighted the day. And ere the night They crowned their Party Leader bright. Where was whim! The Nation had not called for him! Our Hero? Fortune's Back on the farm, amidst the flocks, He gazed across his hollyhocks. The morning paper in his hand Spoke of the tumult and the band Which ushered in the Party's Choice. Softly Our Hero raised his voice; “T seek no office,” murmured he, “But should the Nation call for me——" Wallace Irwin. comicbooks.com