Life, 1912-10-03 · page 36 of 56
Life — October 3, 1912 — page 36: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three separate satirical pieces mocking American institutions: **"Our Government"** (top right) is biting commentary on U.S. bureaucracy. The text sarcastically explains that government is theoretically founded on the Constitution, but in practice consists of countless overlapping laws and officials—most ineffective unless one can "afford a good corporation or criminal lawyer." The implication: the system is corrupt and favors the wealthy. **"Intimate Interviews"** (left) shows caricatures of John Drew, a famous actor of the era, meeting himself—satirizing the repetitiveness of his career and performances. **"Sappho Up to Date"** and **"Balm to the Suffragette"** are lighter pieces: one mocks theatrical touring; the other jokes about gender assumptions regarding a baby, likely referencing contemporary feminist concerns about how society perceives women and children. The bottom cartoon reference to "Morgan and Kidd" (likely J.P. Morgan and pirate Captain Kidd) is unclear without fuller context.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
1916 Intimate Interviews Our Government UR Government is founded on one big sacred piece of writing, called a Constitution, and forty-eight little Constitutions which are not so sacred. Upon these as substructures are piled hundreds of thousands of pieces of writing, called laws or statutes. Less than one per cent of these statutes are of any force or effect, and none of them is invulnerable if one can afford a good corporation or criminal lawyer. These utes are made, formulated and devised by one big legislature, called a Congress, and forty-eight little congresses, called Legislatures, to say nothing of hundreds of local or municipal associations of saloon-keepers, called Councilmen or Aldermen: The chief officers of our Government are one big gov- ernor, called a President, and forty-eight little presidents, called Governors, together with a few thousand supernumeraries, called Mayors. These are often considerable pumpkins in their own. bailiwic In addition to the above, there are large numbers of lesser lights too numerous to mention. For full particulars see payrolls and graft lists. E.0. J. Sappho Up to Date NCOURAGED by success in the small towns, a bud- ding manager decided to take out a Sappho company for a tour of the second-class cities. “To play it right we will have to carry our own stair- er told him. “Stairway nothing,” rep! the manager, “this is going to be a city show. Get an elevator.” “Just the same” “L_JELLO, John!” “How are you, John?” So saying, John Drew shook hands with John Drew. “Same old John?” he exclaimed. “Just the same.” . “Still acting, I presume?” “ Still acting. “ Different title; slightly different in- cidents; same gestures; same face; same voice.” “Same audience?” “Yes, same audience.” “Well, Iam glad to have seen you, john.” “Same to you.” Balm to the Suffragette HE social worker stopped a small girl who was carrying a baby. sn’t he a fine, big boy?” she began. ingratiatingly. “What's his name?” The child waxed indignant. “It ain't. a boy! Everybody thinks it's a boy.” She hugged the baby closer. “You poor darl:n’!” she soothed, “they ain’t got uch opinion of you, "ave they?” Shades of Morgan and Kidd: stNKING GALLEONS! WHAT PIKERS WERE WE! comicbooline HA