Life, 1913-04-17 · page 35 of 52
Life — April 17, 1913 — page 35: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page presents a satirical essay mocking European monarchy, likely responding to early 20th-century debates about the relevance of kings in modern democratic societies. The illustration shows a crowned figure in royal regalia—a generic representation of kingship rather than any specific monarch. The satire argues that kings are obsolete "back numbers" maintained by institutional inertia rather than actual power or respect. Life ridicules their ceremonial functions, their strategic irrelevance in wars (positioned safely "eighteen miles in the rear"), their financial irresponsibility, and their constant anxiety. The essay compares monarchy to a "vermiform appendix"—a vestigial organ serving no purpose. The tone is dismissive: even the working class ("proletariat") no longer fears kings. The final joke—that kings wisely keep packed suitcases ready to flee—suggests their days are numbered. This reflects American Progressive-era skepticism toward European hereditary monarchy during a period of rising democratic and socialist movements.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
-LIFE- 795 EE (or behold) the king! No one sees a king, unless, possi- bly, at a game of poker. The proper thing is always to behold him. The king presides at functions, at- tends the race track, issues messages to constitutional bodies which have previously been written by the minis- ters, piles up debts and leads a double life. He also attends wars, where he occupies an important strategic posi- tion (with the other statesmen who have brought on the war) at a place called “ headquarters,” which is usually about eighteen miles in the rear of the battle. Some say that the king is a back number. He has been held up to ridi- cule so long that even the proletariat is no longer in awe of him. Still, by a sort of royal inertia, he continues to exist—like the vermiform appendix. Some kings are fat and others are thin; some tall and others short; all kings are uneasy; this king is no ex- ception to the rule. He has a number of crowns, some of them larger than others, in order to fit the various sizes of his head. He keeps on hand a collection of Prerogatives, which he uses more spar- ingly than was his wort. The king usually keeps a dress suit case packed with a few necessary clothes in the event that he may have to leave the throne and his creditors in a hurry. This shows that kings are Oftentimes wiser than they seem. New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad On February !0th, 1913 FourThrough Express Trains Joined together New York City ND Northern New England (Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont) ae H Leave New York (G. C. Ter.) 8.03 A.M. Daily— The tesa Mountain {2 Springfield for Brattleboro, Bellows Falls, White xpress River Junction, Wells River and Newport, Vt., arriving 9.15 P.M. Returning leave Newport 9.40 A.M. Ar- rive New York, 10.35 P.M. Through Buffet Smoking Car, Parlor Car and Coaches. “c 9” Leave New York (G. C. Ter.) 11.00 A.M. Daily ex- The Keene Express cept Sunday—via Springfield for Keene, N. H., ar- riving 5.40 P.M. Returning leave Keene 7.30 A.M. Arrive New York 2.05 P.M. Through Buffet Parlor Car and Coaches. “*The Vermonter ”’ Leave New York (G. C. Ter.) 11.50 A.M. Daily— | via Springfield for White River Junction, arriving 7.20 P.M. Returning, leave White River Junction 9.00 A.M. ] Arrive New York 4.42 P.M. | Through Buffet Smoker, Parlor Car, Dining Car } and Coaches. | 4s i Leave New York (G. C. Ter.) 8.10 P.M. Daily— } The sate of Maine via Springfield and Worcester for Lowell, Mass., Bly- Xpress mouth, N. H., Portland, Augusta and Bangor, Me., arriving 11.45 A.M. Leave Bangor 3.45 P.M. weekdays, | 1.15 P.M. Sundays. Portland 8.40 P.M., arrive New York 7.05 A.M. Through Sleeping Car to Plymouth, N. H., to Portland, Me. j Through Coaches to Portland, Buffet Sleeping Car to Bangor, Me. Daily except Saturday to Bangor, and except Sunday from Bangor. Our ticket agents will give you full information. For Sleeping or Parlor Car | space apply 171 Broadway or Grand Central Terminal, New York The New England Lines comicbooks.com