Life, 1913-03-13 · page 31 of 44
Life — March 13, 1913 — page 31: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This poem satirizes imperial power and militarism through a parable. A landowner posts signs forbidding firearms on his property, but Ben Bean ignores them and hunts anyway. When confronted, Ben refuses to leave, claiming "I have got the gun"—making physical force the ultimate argument. The poem then explicitly extends this to nation-states: empires operate like Ben, disregarding laws and rights because they possess military power. The satirical point is that international relations, despite claims of law and justice, ultimately rest on military might. Whoever has "the gun" wins, regardless of moral or legal right. This likely reflects early-20th-century anxieties about imperialism and the logic of great-power politics—a critique that "might makes right" governs both rural confrontations and global affairs. The satire exposes the hollowness of civilized rules when backed by no enforcement mechanism against the powerful.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
SE The Logic of the Gun He wrote in letters plain to see, That all could understand: ALL PERSONS CARRYING FIRE- ARMS FORBIDDEN ON THIS LAND And through his hundred-acre woods, To stay through calm and breeze, He nailed this minatory sign Upon two hundred trees. So all who wandered through those wilds Could read and understand : RSONS CARRYING FIRE- N ON THIS LAND. Ben Bean, the Nimrod of the town, Went shooting through the land; His vocal musket banged in tones That all could understand. And then the owner of the woods Who placed the warning signs, Went after Ben and talked to him Of penalties and fines. “Do you not sce these signs?” said he. “A child can understan “All persons carryi Forbidden on this land? “ But how'll you get me off?” asked Ben, And spoke without a wince. “A person carrying firearms t easy to convince.” off! the farmer cried. “ Begone!" Come drive me off,” Ben said, ket toward the man, hs hea ght upon my si The farmer said. “You may have right, [ don't deny’t, But I have got the gun.” Now run And there are empires, just like Ben, Who hunt the world around, F you were ever late to anes | ment, or soiled the bosom ofa bean one because of fumbling with ordi- ou will send for this TRIAL M EL” tis Ar) FREE to show the convenience of LARTER SHIRT STUDS & LARTER VEST BUT TONS “ae time pry for men in iter enters eyelets or butionholes ily, aod, eutomat seen tccdcat happees to the backs a bew one wall be gives exchange. Ask your jeweler. Write for the Free Trial Model ‘and see how easily the Larter works, Larter & Sons, 32 Maiden Lane, New York Masctactaring Jewelers 500 Shaves From 12 Blades Guaranteed ane Resor thet Sing, * te Read this Guarantee Anta er failing to get at least 500 Head Barber shaves from a package of 12 AutoStrop blades may return his 12 blades to us, state how many shaves he is short, and we will send him enough new blades to make good his shortage. AutoStrop Safety Razor is the only Safety Razor which enables you to strop the blade sharp—shave, and then clean the razor without removing the blade from the holder. Unstropped blades cannot be guaranteed. We can guarantee our blades because the self-contained automatic-stropping featurcis so convenient, quick and efficient that you will cheerfully strop your blades to keen Head Barber edges, For sale at all dealers in the U. S. and Canada on 30 days’ free trial. Price $5.00. «Fancy traveling sets, $6.50 up. Write for catalogue. AutoStrop Safety Razor Company, 368 Fifth Avenue, New York. Toronto. London Whose purpose ‘tis to use the world For their own hunting-ground, And there's no potentate or power, No premier or prince, Who's well-equipped with firearms, That's easy to convince. And when their victims prate of rights, They say to every one, “You may have right, I don’t deny’t, But I have got the gun.” —From “Songs of the Average Man; by Sam Wolter Foss. Reprinted by permission of the publishers, Messrs. Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Company. A RAD EGG comicbooks.com