Life, 1913-07-17 · page 19 of 44
Life — July 17, 1913 — page 19: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**"Good News from Alabama"** addresses Alabama's convict-leasing system—a post-Civil War practice where the state leased imprisoned workers (disproportionately Black men) to private corporations and individuals, often under brutal conditions. The article expresses cautious optimism that reform efforts have begun, suggesting Alabama's callousness toward convicts stems from "carelessness rather than willfulness" and might extend to improving treatment of child laborers in industry. **The cartoon featuring the giant fly** illustrates the convict-leasing problem through metaphor: the large insect represents the oppressive system; the small figures (including someone on a bicycle) are victims. The caption "See here! I'm a clean, decent fly" suggests the system presents itself as legitimate while causing harm. **"Bless You, No!"** satirizes Marie Corelli's romantic ideal of complete marital devotion, arguing that healthy marriages require independence and occasional solitude—not total enmeshment. The editors advocate for sustainable love over consuming passion.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Good News from Alabama EWS from Birmingham apprises us of extensive steps which are about to be taken to correct Alabama's attitude toward her convicts, Alabama has been leasing her convicts out to private individuals and corporations, and if convicts anywhere else have received worse treat- ment, the matter has been effectually hushed up. But a psychological leaven has started to work down there and its first task will be to tackle the convict-leasing system. What difference does it make where Alabama starts, so long as she starts? Isn't it just a question of getting the habit of dealing kindly with unfortunates? If she can work up a little genuine sentiment toward criminals, it ought not to be many moons be- fore she will begin to get interested in her many children who labor in her industries and who are deprived of ordinary educational facilities. We believe her sins have been due to carelessness rather than willfulness. CLEVERTON: I expect to have an awful scene with Galloway over that political squabble we've got into. I'm going to have it out with him to-morrow. Dasaway: Where are you going to meet him? At the club? “Heavens, no! The club's no place for a quarrel. I'm going’ to have binicae imap homie? “ SeE HERE! I'M A CLEAN, DECENT FLY AND YOU ARE JUST GOING TO sToP IT.” Bless You, No! If I loved a man I should love him so completely that I should never think of anything in which he had not the first and greatest share. I should sec his kind looks in every ray of sunshince—I should hear his loving voice in every note of music—if I were to read a book alone, I should wonder which sentence in it would please him most—if plucked a flower I should ask myself if he would like me to wear it—I should live through him and for him—he would be my very eyes and heart and soul. —Marie Corelli. E want to thank you, Marie, for letting us know in time, but to be real candid we don't want to be loved your way; mighty few men do, It all reads beautifully, but most men don’t like the same kind of books their wives do. Most men hate to be sung to; and as for being the very eyes and heart and soul of any woman—not all the time. Even the best of us like to be left alone much of the time. When we marry we don’t want to be strapped down to a ninety horse-power love car. In a life endurance test two people need to know each other not too well. It takes a lot of water to keep Niagara going. A marriage WT Tigi ——— WM: such as you indicate, Marie, would run out of power in LUT EE two or three weeks. I CAN’T HOLD ME END UP WITH THAT BUNCH. ABIES inherit kisses, lovers exchange them, old men TOO SWIFT FER ME.” buy them. comicbooks.com