Life, 1912-12-05 · page 90 of 116
Life — December 5, 1912 — page 90: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page critiques a proposal by Charles R. Wiers to eliminate traditional letter salutations ("Dear Sir," "Madam," "Gentlemen") as unnecessary and artificial. **The Main Argument**: The editorial defends conventional greetings against Wiers' reformist position. It argues that while these phrases may seem redundant in face-to-face conversation, they serve a deeper social purpose—they express goodwill and kindness toward the recipient. The writer contends that removing them would be impractical, citing love letters as an example where omitting traditional endearments could cause "serious trouble." **The Satire**: Wiers is portrayed as a well-intentioned but impractical reformer who doesn't understand that social conventions, though seemingly inadequate on the surface, fulfill important emotional functions. The piece mocks his naive logic while defending the value of courteous formality. The page also includes period advertisements for cologne, garages, and champagne, typical of Life's commercial content.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
What is the use, for example, of “ How do you do?” or “ How Nine times out of ten we don't care how the person is, and besides we know pretty well by looking at him. How about love letters? When a man meets his best girl he doesn’t necessarily begin by saying: “My Darling,” “My Sweetheart,” “My Pet.” But if he should leave these things off from the beginning of a love letter, he might get into serious trouble. In fact, to carry out Wiers’ point, he would not write his love letters at all, because half the love letters do not state what the man really means any- way. Then what are you going to do with a man who writes to his wife? Are you going to have him express his real feelings about her in a letter? Most of the apparently inadequate things that we do or say in the way of greeting really stand for something deeper. However much they may fail to fill the bill, they are exponents of a kindly attitude toward our fellow-man. Usually the fellow who is able to say the pleasantest things in the nicest Christmas Chimes ps way is the one from whom we derive ‘mean joyousness and suggest gifts for loved ones. This exquisite Eau de Coloene has the ‘greatest comfort. . And because sentimental associations which make it peculiarly appropriate as a gift. — Owing to its this is apparently artificial is no reason refined character, it appeals particularly to women, and it is most-acceptable to the man why necessarily he should be a hypo- who shaves himself and who loves his morning bath. A spray of it perfumes and freshens_23\y edie: op the sch-coome: Tes wees ae-manilld and ao dees tle complete widens i. Mr. Wiers is like many inept re- Iasi ce “Forty sevre-cleven” ~ (Bier vad Gold Label) ~ Sold Everrwhere. ‘ 4 inte Boerles, 35.¢; ether sixes, plasm and wader, 85¢ to $3.00. Ry formers; he rushes ahead without re- Ford Milhous, No. 4711 Clockengasen, Cologee o/R, Ger. alizing that the results he expects to j accomplish are not worth the time ex- pended to get them. “es FIREPROOF GARAG ES Pecknaw: My wife talks, talks, talks “Dear Sir”: STEEL all the time. For Automobiles and Motorcycles Unpertnus: You're wrong. She A ‘fetnicious: ‘gentemna, ‘mained $30 to $200 aust lidenspartiof the time: op my! site Charles R. Wiers, has come out with 2) 3 Easy to put up. Portable, Allsizes. wen ee eaBoston Transcript. the statement that “ Dear Sir,” “ Mad- - . Postal brings latest illustrated catalog. am,” and “Gentlemen” should here- THE EDWARDS MFG. 60., 236-286 Eggleston Ave., Cincinnati, 0. after be discontinued as a beginning for letters, principally because “they are not applicable to personal conver- sation.” Also because “a person who asks a question or states a proposition is more concerned about the answer than of a lot of senseless preliminary.” Also because “their omission gives a letter originality and distinction.” Go to, dear Mr. Wiers, you don't know what you are talking about. —the American wine that proves champagne What you really mean is that you can be made in America equal to the imported. want to introduce a custom of getting Import taxes make foreign wines cost twice as people to write and say exactly what much—not extra quality. It has a delicious they mean without any superfluosity. flavor and exquisite bouquet. Then, in order to carry out your dic- Two Kinds: Special Dry and Brut tum and be consistent, we should like- Order a Case Today wise be expected to apply the rule to Sold Everywhere “All wine—no duty’” other intercourse. comicbooksMer