Life, 1912-10-31 · page 24 of 44
Life — October 31, 1912 — page 24: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This 1912 *Life* magazine page satirizes turn-of-the-century anxieties about immigration and voting integrity. The poem "L'Envoi" mocks the 1912 Presidential election by cataloging voters by their ethnic origins—Swedes, Armenians, Poles, Russian Jews, Bulgarians, Turks, Bohemians, Neapolitans, Czechs, Portuguese, and others. The final lines reveal the joke's bite: only 3 repeaters, 5 naturalized Canadians, and 14 actual Americans voted, plus "Holworthy Hall" (likely a fictional/satirical name). The satire suggests that immigrant voters—newly naturalized or otherwise—dominated American elections, implying they were either ineligible, fraudulent, or incompetent participants. This reflects nativist concerns of the era that immigrants threatened democratic legitimacy. The ethnic specificity is deliberately stereotyping. The accompanying cartoon shows petrified figures (linking to ancient Herculaneum's preserved bodies)—suggesting immigrants were foreign relics, not proper Americans.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
L'Envoi WARM blush glowed on Nature's face; To speed the Presidential race Came voters to the polling place; 1 Swede, 5 Armenians, 8 Polaks. Two hours since first crowed the cocks, A mob, extending several blocks. Pressed onward towards the ballot box— 26 Russian Jews, 34 Bulgarians, 67 Turks, 72 Bohemians. The tolling church bells sounded twelve; Relinquishing the smooth-worn helve Came citizens who sewers delve— 92 Neapolitans, 10 Mohammedans, 266 Czechs. The weary watchers saw the throng, That after luncheon strolled along In civic pride, a thousand strong, 304 Muscovites, 315 Sardinians, 426 Portuguese. And when the vote was closed and done— What wonder who it was that won?— Came penitently, on the run, 3 repeaters, 5 naturalized Canadians, 14 Americans and Holworthy Hall. PETRIFIED SPORTS RECENTLY EXCAVATED AT HERCULANEUM The Brain-Rackers HE winners of the $350 in prizes for the best answers to Lirr’s Examination Papers will be announced in next week's issue, unless something unforeseen occurs. Making the decision involves the consideration of 58,- $30 separate answers, which, it will be admitted, is a task of no mean dimensions. Meanwhile contestants are besought to possess their souls in patience, which is one of the greatest of the vir- tues, They may, however, indulge freely in the joys of an- ticipation. They should not forget, however, that the joys of anticipation are frequently very much greater than those of realization. THE WILL 0’ THE WISP comicbooks.com