Life, 1913-10-09 · page 10 of 44
Life — October 9, 1913 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This dialogue between "Life" (the magazine's personified voice) and a character named "Lire" satirizes American federalism and state governance circa 1950. The conversation critiques how individual states operate as semi-autonomous political machines with varying standards of conduct—comparing corruption and mismanagement across New York, New York State, and other regions. The satire targets gubernatorial corruption, police scandals, child labor violations, and systemic inefficiency. "Life" argues each state must be judged by its own record rather than making comparative excuses. The illustration "Another Pillar of Society" (right) depicts a tall, unstable structure—symbolizing how weak individual state governance undermines the nation's foundation. The lower cartoon shows children seated in rows, labeled "Time 1950—Class in Ethics—Pupils One Year Old," sardonically suggesting moral education begins impossibly early given widespread corruption.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
SEIP E+ On Life’s Wire “ LJELLO, ¢§ that you Lire?” Far This is ‘New York =: “eS speaking.” “New York City or New York State?” “New York State.” “Oh, hello, Glad to hear your voice. How are all your governors to-day?” “Now, Lire, stop your burlesquing. I want to talk seriously to you for a few minutes about—well, to be quite frank, about myself.” “Go right ahead, fair common- wealth. What's on your mind?” “Just this, Lire: I rather gather that I am getting an unenviable reputa- tion in various quarters.” “There has been a good deal of talk, that’s true.” “Very well. I want to protest with all the vigor and indignation that is in me. I am not the worst state in the Union by a long shot.” “Mighty glad to hear that. And it came in the very nick of time, too, for we were just squaring away on our new chef d’oeuvre in twenty volumes, to be entitled, ‘The Decline and Fall of the Empire State’.” “Don’t do it, Lire, don’t do it. My enemies are trying to give me a bad name, that’s all. Take that mess up at Albany, for instance. Superficially it looks pretty bad, but it is really noth- ing more than a gubernatorial anti- limax which might happen to most any state.” “Tt might, indeed.” “ And, then, my prisons have been coming in for criticism, to say nothing of that nasty little Thaw matter. Be- lieve me, Lire, there are penitentiaries as bad as Sing Sing in every state in the Union.” “Are you real sure of that? Sing Sing has depths to which it would be almost impossible for any other peni- tentiary to sink.” “There may be exceptions, but I’m sure that penological matters in the entire country are in a most barbarous condition. Then, you know, I’ve been blamed for Tammany. That, of course, is an old story.” “And a very tragic one.” “ Admitted, Lire, but can you name a single state that hasn’t exactly the same kind of political machine? If Tammany is the worst, it is only be- cause it is the biggest.” “ How about those’ police scandals in New York City?” “Oh, Lire, it isn’t fair to charge those up against me. They pertained more to the municipality. So far as that goes, New York City is a pretty onerous burden for any state, no mat- ter how imperial, to carry. “True enough, but then we all have responsibilities which we can not shirk.” “And then there were those child labor scandals in the canning industries. Tommyrot! What about Alabama and TIME 1950—CLASS IN ETHICS—PUPILS ONE YEAR OLD ANOTHER PILLAR OF SOCIETY several others of those southern states? With me, child labor is only incidental at most; it is their whole existence.” “You are certainly very glib with exculpatory comparisons, New York, but remember that comparisons at best are odious, Every state must stand or fall by its own record. We fear you will have to be born again.” “It may be, Lire. It may be. Can you recommend me to a real good po- litical evangelist?” “Don't think of any at present, New York, but if we hear of one we'll let . you know.” “Thanks awfully, Lire, Good-bye.” “ Good-bye.” comicbooks.com