Life, 1913-06-26 · page 21 of 45
Life — June 26, 1913 — page 21: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The main cartoon depicts a winged female figure (representing Peace) carrying a dove, floating above a small house. The illustration appears ironic given the surrounding editorial commentary. The page celebrates American polo players defeating British competitors, framing this as evidence of national character and vigor. It also discusses the "New Freedom" — likely referring to President Woodrow Wilson's progressive agenda — through a Supreme Court decision allowing Minnesota to regulate railroad rates independently of federal authority. The editorial adopts a cautiously optimistic, somewhat conservative tone: praising the current Democratic administration's stability while warning against rash reforms. It suggests the polo victory and horse racing provide necessary recreational outlets that keep citizens "human" and prevent social discontent. The "Dove of Peace" title ironically frames these domestic sports and political developments as peace-related, suggesting that national vitality and moderate governance maintain social harmony—a view typical of pre-WWI American centrist commentary.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE DOVE OF PEACE body knows just how well the exist- ing apparatus could support us if it were justly administered; but it may be doing better than it gets credit for just now, and it may, end probably will, not do so well if it is too rudely handled, too rashly improved. There _are times when we would almost rather trust the handling of present concerns to some of the old hands than to some of the new; times when the bawling of fanatics seems more intolerable than the ‘Ils they wail about; times when we are thankful that we have a President who can think and has the grit to act as he thinks, and that the Democratic, tariff- reform leader of the House is a wise and resolute and stable person whose feet stay always on the ground. UCH the most thrilling news with which this issue of Lire is con- cerned is that our gentlemen beat the British gentlemen in the polo games. Our neighbor, the Evening Post, which is very wise about sports, cheerfully finds in this success “a manifestation of that most admirable quality in the national character—the gift for bring- ing all the energies of the body and will to bear in one supreme effort.” That seems a good idea. Besides, thought is so serious lately that we needed these polo matches to remind us that we were human and keep us cheered. The same useful end is served by the revival of racing in this neigh- borhood. There are people if they have an occasional chance to be frivolous, can get along without being vicious. That the races help, and as they are conducted now with the most careful avoidance of sin, we hope they may maintain the which will best who, sort moderate prosperity insure their continuance. » Bb HE progress of the New Freedom s illustrated by a decision of the Supreme Court to effect that the State of Minnesota can regulate railroad rates within its boundaries provided the matters concerned have not been regulated by the Federal Interstate Commerce Commission. This decision was a grief to the stock market and the brokers had a good day’s business selling marked-down goods. Less hasty observers found a silver lining to this cloud, and there is a fair measure of agreement among the dis- consolate that the decision will do good to the railroads in the end by en- couraging the Interstate Commerce Commission to crowd the States out of the business of railroad regulation. comicbooks.com