Life, 1913-07-10 · page 21 of 44
Life — July 10, 1913 — page 21: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page critiques the Wilson administration's handling of several political matters circa 1913-1914. **Main Cartoon:** The illustration captioned "SOME FOLKS DON'T APPRECIATE IT WHEN THEY HAVE A STAR PITCHER IN THE FAMILY" depicts a domestic scene where a woman appears upset while a man (likely representing someone with political influence) sits nearby. This satirizes nepotism—specifically, the appointment of an immigration commissioner in California whose son had abandoned his wife. The "star pitcher" metaphor suggests having a talented family member in power doesn't guarantee good behavior. **Text Critiques:** The article attacks Attorney General McReynolds for postponing a white slave law trial at Secretary of Labor Wilson's request, motivated by Wilson's personal interest (the appointee was the rascal's father). Life argues that while McReynolds deserves some leniency as new to the job, Secretary Wilson showed poor judgment and should be cautious going forward. The piece also discusses diplomatic appointments—praising Thomas Nelson Page and Gerard while noting these require private wealth to supplement government salaries. The satire targets political favoritism and patronage networks in the Wilson administration.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
as greatly shocked at the President’s behavior in this matter, but the pre- vailing opinion seems to be that in the encounter between the President and the “rider,” the “rider” got very much the worst of it and was as good as knocked out. After all, it is not always necessary to burn down a house in order to roast TTORNEY-GENERAL McREY- NOLDS has got into several scrapes lately, the worst one being the postponement of the trial of two young rascals in California, who abandoned their wives and ran off with two young girls and were indicted in the Federal courts under the white slave law. The World thinks Mr. McReynolds ought to resign. He ordered a postponement of the trial of the two young rascals at the request of Mr. Wilson, Secre- tary of Labor, who was interested be- cause the father of one of the rascals had just been appointed Commissioner of Immigration in California and was in Washington tearning about his new job. The World thinks that not only the Attorney-General, but the Secretary of Labor and the Commissioner of Immigration for California had all better relinquish office. We can see no very urgent objection to the decapitation of the Commis- sioner, and if the Secretary of Labor is the sort this incident betokens, one might wish the supervision of immi- grants was in other hands. But Mr. McReynolds ought to have a reason- able allowance of mistakes. He is new at his job, and overwhelmed with business of all sorts, including a great many important appointments. He must have to trust to the judgment of other persons in very many cases. In this case, which never should have come to him at all, he deferred to Secretary Wilson, The most we would ask of Mr. McReynolds is not to resign, but to he wary in future of acceding to Secretary Wilson's requests. As for Seeretary Wilson, it is an advantage to have increased acquain- tance with him. In his hailiwick is Ellis Island, an institution in which all SOME FOLKS DON'T APPRECIATE IT WHEN THEY HAVE A STAR PITCHER IN THE FAMILY the country is concerned, and which was admirably administered by Com- missioner Williams under Mr. Taft. It will be expected that Ellis Island shall be equally well administered under President Wilson. Who the new Commissioner will be is not yet disclosed, but it would be obviously inadvisable for Secretary Wilson, hav- ing made one pretty bad mistake al- ready, to permit any more, either of appointment or administration, to be made at Ellis Island. recent diplomatic appointments have been very acceptable. Mr. Thomas Nelson Page as ambass: to Rome can rub the ancient ci tion of Virginia against the ancient civilization of Italy to the advantage, probably, of both, and certainly to the admiration of the Italians. He will get some good points on macaroni and Michelangelo, and the good Italians will be able to improve ac- quaintance with hoe-cake and George Washington. And if Mr. Page can persuade the Italian Government to Sunday School a little more completely the Italians who come here to live, we shall be grateful and will try to provide that only good Americans like Mr. Page shall go to I Mr. Gerard as ambassador to Ger- many is very much applauded. He is thoroughly trained with such training as New York affords, is conversant with law and business, and is blessed, we understand, with private means which will be highly convenient in piecing out the allowance which our thrifty country makes to its represen- tative in Berlin. And Dr. Van Dyke as minister to Holland will be just right, a valid and suitable attraction added to the allurements of The Hague; an ex cellent Dutch American conferred upon the admirable Dutch. comicbooks.com