Life, 1913-04-03 · page 20 of 52
Life — April 3, 1913 — page 20: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three satirical pieces critiquing American policy priorities and economic hypocrisy: **"Protecting Americans"** mocks the government's focus on foreign interventions (Mexico, Balkans) while ignoring literal civil war in West Virginia—a mining region torn by labor-capital conflict. The irony: Americans fight Americans while authorities debate constitutional justifications. **"Futurist Music"** (the right cartoon) appears to depict chaotic violence, sarcastically titled to suggest that domestic turmoil is treated as entertainment while policymakers obsess over foreign affairs. **"No Free Wool"** uses biting sarcasm to attack protectionist tariffs. The writer mocks the Committee on Tariff Revision for rejecting William Jennings Bryan's free-wool proposal, claiming wool *should* remain expensive to prevent poor people from being "unduly pampered"—exposing the absurdity of policies that harm working-class Americans while claiming moral superiority. The unifying theme: American leaders prioritize foreign entanglements and protect wealthy interests over domestic welfare and labor rights.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
680 Protecting Americans A KIN to the question of send- ing troops to Mexico to protect Americans is the question of protecting Amer- icans in West Virgin There has been a state of war there for the good part of a year; not a metaphorical state of war, but a literal state of war, with martial law, musketry, spies and everything but publicity, our press apparently considering matters in Mex- ico and the Balkans much more im- portant. In West Virginia, it seems, Ameri- cans are at war with Americans. This brings it under that anomalous cate- gory known as civil war. As in all other wars, the question at issue has to do with the matter of living. Some of these Americans own mines. Some of these Americans work in the mines. Some of these Americans have control of the Government. Some of these Americans own most of the ammuni- tion. Some of these Americans are greatly scandalized, believing that such a state of affairs does not befit this well-advertised republic. So there we are. The problem is to protect these Americans and bring about peace and harmony. What shall be done? Capital says one thing. Labor says another thing. National pride says another thing. State rights say another thing. Common decency says another thing. Constitutions say this. Jurisprudence says that. Soldiers say something else. Luckily West Vir- ginia is not very far from Washington. A STAY AT HOME Mm wT FUTURIST MUSIC Perhaps if we can spare a few mo- ments from the Philippines, from Mexico, and from China, and from the North Pole, and from other foreign interests, it might not come amiss to look around a bit at home. No Free Wool EWS from Washington tells us that Mr. Bryan is for free wool and that, in consequence thereof, he will be ignored by the Committee on Tariff Revision. And the committee is quite right. Wool was never intended to be free. It enters too largely into the necessi- ties of the common people. It is too effective in protecting the poor from the chilling blasts of winter. Wool should be made as hard to get as pos- sible in order that the poverty-stricken may not be unduly pampered and pau- perized. Now if Mr. Bryan would only go in for free tiaras or free toupees, he might expect to accomplish something worth while. comicbooks.com