Life — July 24, 1913 — page 30: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

“Th E* What Do You Think? We are Constantly in Receipt of Important Letters Which are Too Long for Our Limited Space. Breaty is Desirable Hot Shot from Texas Dear Lire: If conceit were consumption you would have been buried and forgotten about the time of the Johnstown flood, and a mouldy but appropriate epitaph would read: “Here lies, and lies and lies.” Your periodical enjoys a large circu- lation and exerts considerable influence, especially with busy people, who accept your ideas and cartoons as depicted by you with reference to social, political, religious and current events as true conditions. It is easy enough to sit in a big leather chair on the forty-second floor of some New York office building and shell the woods as you are prone to do, dictating to the United States and the world just how its affairs should be run. California, Alabama and the South seem to be your favorite targets, with an occa sional fling at Catholicism and European affairs. The California people and legis- lature are the sufferers in the Japanese trouble and are familiar with conditions, and undoubtedly gave the matter consid- erable thought before taking the action they did; Alabama will work out her child labor proposition in due time, as this is a new feature that has just begun to confront itself to Alabama and cther Southern States; but your last isse, regarding the South and her lynchings, was the last straw. You no more understand the condi- tions in the South that cause and lead up to lynchings and the result thereof than a Chinese coolie understands aerial navigation. You are warped, shriveled and narrow-minded, Lire, like most New Yorkers, who imagine nothing worth while or due any consideration that ex- O10 “Aar sonny ists outside of the confines of Greater New York, Your circulation has out- grown your common sense, and you at- tempt to apply national problems to your own local conditions. We are all, of course, justly proud of New York, but charity begins at home, and you have plenty of raw material to work on at home without shooting at random and manufacturing evidence that works out theoretically only. The South, as I understand it, shows the biggest subscription to your paper in the country, pro rata, so why not show your appreciation by giving it a square deal? Very truly, B. HLL Dattas, Texas, June 12, 1913. Another Kind of Abstainer Eoitor or Lair The malicious, vindictive letter in your issue of June 19, from the pen of “An Abstainer,” abusing you for daring to comment on Captain Hobson's latest scheme for keeping in the limelight and increasing his wealth, was, in a sense, amusing, but hardly worthy of the space you gave it. We hope you will dodge some of the horrible punishments which “ Abstainer ” in his righteous spasm is praying his gods to send you; meanwhile let us hope that “Abstainer” may, before taking part in another exchange of opinions through your columns, cultivate a little charity, swallow his impression that he has been endowed with wisdom and charged with the responsibility of judg- ing and damning those of us who differ with him, Then, if he must write, let F/ him read what he has written after he has allowed himself to cool off. Such narrow, heated and un-Christianlike ex- plosions in the name of “ Temperance hurt the cause and remind one of the little dog that bayed the moon, “Your enemy, An Abstainer,” can hardly be blamed for failing to subscribe his name to such an abusive letter, but we recognize the family; eyes too close together, ete., etc. Your friend, Curtis Harrison (Also an abstainer). Birminciam, ALA., June 17, 1913. We Apologize Tue Epitor or Lire: I'm going back to rather an early ¢ to criticize, but in your issue of bruary 13 you have an article in which appears a sentence, and several allusions, which really merit a caustic reply. Under the head of “Nature and Sty someone says: “In the Sand- wich Islands the ladies who move in the best society wear scarcely more than an entrancing smile,” ete., ete. I like your satirical articles; I have enjoyed your fun and witti years; I appreciate the need of an stance” to prove a point—but please make your tenses right, at least. The “aboriginal” Sandwich Islander probably often wore less than a smile on even state occasions—but the people of this territory for over sixty years, anyhow, and surely to-day, who move in any kind of society dress and act much as New Yorkers do. (It may be a pity, at that!) The reason I take exception to the article is because it creates a false im- pression of the Hawaii of to-day. Very truly yours, Epw. W. P. St. Grorce. Honotuty, T. H., May 27, 1913. THE ANSWER TO THIS REBUS WILL BE PUBLISHED IN NEXT WEEK'S LIFE comicbooks.com