Life, 1912-12-26 · page 9 of 41
Life — December 26, 1912 — page 9: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains a satirical cartoon and article about prostitution in early 20th-century New York. The top cartoon depicts a woman sighing over a portrait while a man lurks behind her—illustrating the article's dark humor warning widows against displaying their first husband's portrait, as it apparently attracts unwanted male attention. The larger cartoon "They Have Eyes, but They See Not" shows a woman with exaggerated features, accompanied by commentary about street walkers and male exploitation. The article discusses prostitution as a social problem, arguing for regulation rather than prohibition, and criticizing both the exploitation of vulnerable women and the men who profit from it. The satire critiques society's hypocrisy regarding this "necessary evil."
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Sherman law, to be enforced and probably extended or tinkered. If it comes to tinkering, Mr. Brandeis has definite ideas how to do it, and can draw bills that express them. If that use were not made of him, still he is very clear in discussion and statement, and resourceful in suggestion, and can put a take-it or leave-it proposition in such a way that other minds can bet- ter discover their disposition towards it, Some eminent Bull Moose statesmen are quite sure that Mr. Brandeis, as the leading demonstrator of the policy towards the trusts that Mr. Wilson has adopted, should be Attorney-General in Mr. Wilson's cabinet. Perhaps they think so because they feel, uncon- sciously of course, that Mr. Brandeis would be the Attorney-General likeli- est to endear Mr. Roosevelt's trust folicy to the people by contrast with Mr. Wilson's as enforced. Maybe they are mistaken about that—if they do feel so—but Mr. Brandeis may still be in the cabinet, and very useful there without being Attorney-General. THe testimony of Mary Goode, an employing prostitute, about the tribute levied on her by policemen, fol- Cocatean AATRAr, ste, “THEY HAVE EVFS, BUT THEY SER NoT” WARNING TO WIDOWS DON’T SIGH OVER THE PORTRAIT OF YOUR FIRST IN THE PRESENCE OF YOUR SECOND lowed by corroborative testimony by other women in the same trade, ha brought on a general discussion of the whole subject that it concerns, and the possibility or impossibility of do- ing anything for or with the women of the str The chief encourage- ment for such discussion springs from recognition that their state now in New York is about as bad as it can be, and no change could well make it worse. The good point about that condition is that it may help to prevent “the oldest profession” from becoming too attractive or too remunerative. A very bad point about it is that it permits a lot of unspeakable men to prey on women who are most advisedly called “unfortunate,” and the terrors and risks of whose calling do not need to he increased by systematic extortion, and mistreatment. Some things might be done if there were fit people available to do them. There ought at least to be drastic pun- shment, including perhaps corporeal punishment, for the male promoters of this traffic, and a sharp reckoning with men who profit by it in any way. Prostitution may be a necessary evil and part of the price paid for the ind of monogamous civilization that we enjoy, but surely the promotion of Prostitution by men, and the use of it to afford revenue to members of the police force, or to the city, is not a necessary evil and might be cured. The street walkers are a part of the same human lump as the rest of us, and it does not become us to flout them scornfully, nor abandon them to the tormenters. Neither is it even safe to do so, for their powers of retaliation on a society that mis- uses or neglects them are enormous, and operative automatically in direct Proportion to the mistreatment and neglect. The details of any regulation of prostitution are hard to work out be- cause it is a regulation of what is universally recognized as sin. But any law or plan may do some good if ad- ministered by just and humane peo- ple, and any law or plan will make bad worse if left to be operated by rascals and_ bullies. too comicbooks.com