Life, 1913-07-03 · page 28 of 48
Life — July 3, 1913 — page 28: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The page contains two satirical pieces: **"A Reprehensible Senator"** critiques Senator Jacob Gallinger of New Hampshire for publicly doubting the efficacy of medical serums and questioning testimonials supporting their use. The satire is ironic—Life mock-outrage that a senator would "dare to speak the truth in public," exposing that medical testimonials prove little. The cartoon (captioned "Mr. Mellen is Still on the Job") depicts figures in what appears to be a medical or scientific context, though the specific reference is unclear. **"The New Babylon"** humorously compares ancient Babylon's decline to modern New York City's decay, suggesting both suffer from lack of public spirit. It satirizes how over-advertising (Babylon's "hanging gardens and brick newspapers") created false permanence. The piece mocks that British capitalists and American sentiment might revive Babylon as a railroad center alongside Kansas City and Elizabeth, New Jersey—absurdly grouping ancient splendor with mundane modern industrial towns as proof that ruins can be resurrected. Both pieces use irony and hyperbole to critique contemporary institutions and attitudes.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
MR, MEL A Reprehensible Senator “T have very grave doubts as to the efficacy of any of these serums."—Senator Jacob H. Gal- linger, of New Hampshire. S this not a treasonable utterance? What right has a Senator of the United States to declare his lack of confidence in serums when the medical profession is adopting them daily? Who is Senator Gallinger’s doctor that he dare utter such iconoclastic sentiments? But Senator Gallinger did not stop there. Senator Overman, from North Carolina, had introduced a resolution, requesting an investigation of the practices and methods employed by Doctors Karl and Sylvia Von Ruck, of Asheville, N. C, in treating tuber- culosis, ete. Mr. Gallinger wanted to IS STILL ON THE Jon know if it was really claimed that this particular serum had cured the disease and Mr. Overman replied: “It has really cured many people.” Mr. Gallinger then said: “We can adily get testimony that men: have en cured of all sorts of diseases by all sorts of remedies, but that really proves very little.” It would seem as if Senator Gal- linger, the more he talked, put his foot into it all the deeper—first to state his lack of confidence in serums and then to declare that it was possible to get all sorts of testimonies to support their use—dear! dear! This is dreadful! We don't know quite what ought to be done with Senator Gallinger, but it ought to be extreme. A fitting punish- ment should be invented by some one to cover the case of a Senator of the United States who dares to speak the truth in public. The New Babylon I" appears that the British Govern- ment has acquired certain rights whereby a modern railroad line is to run through the ancient domain of Nebuchadnezzar, and it is not im- probable that Babylon will be recon- structed in accordance with modern ideals. For some time Babylon has suf- fered from a lack of public spirit, being almost on a par with New York in this respect. Its public buildings have been permitted to decay and most of its leading citizens have passed away and have not been replaced by others. In fact, Babylon is undoubt- edly experiencing the result of a sud- den boom in the past. The trouble with Babylon was that it was too well advertised. People got to believe that because it had hanging gardens and brick newspapers it would last for- ever, In our opinion, the professional humorists who infested Bzbylon at the time of its greatest prominence did more to undermine it than almost any other source. But however this may be it is interesting to find that in spite of all the years in which Babylon has been relegated to the ash heap it is vow through British commercial enterprise to be put once more on its feet and to take its proud place with Kansas City, Rome, Cairo, and Eliza- beth, New Jersey, among the foremost railroad centers of the world. What does this teach us? It teaches us never to despair. It teaches us that although we may lie in ruins for sev- eral years and be an abiding place for the kaleidoscopic chameleon, the astute spider and the playful leopard, there is still hope for all of us. When you are discouraged, there- fore; when your friends have all left you and even pocts have ceased to speculate upon you, be of good cheer, for at any moment some Bri capitalist—reenforced by American sentiment—may come along and with real money put you on your feet and make you once more a thing of cul- ture and a joy carrier forever--and another day. T. L. M. comicbooks.com