Life, 1913-11-20 · page 12 of 44
Life — November 20, 1913 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The page contains three distinct sections: **"Good News for Animals"** celebrates an international anti-vivisection movement, mocking scientists who use animals in medical research through caricature and text condemning "knife pinchers, red-hot needles, serum and iron clamps." **"Rome's Downfall"** is a political allegory comparing Rome's historical fall to contemporary American political instability, suggesting that like Rome, America faces collapse through internal discord—specifically citing the Congressional Record as evidence of constant crisis and partisan conflict. **"The Two Americas"** presents a humorous comparison table contrasting North and South America's characteristics, satirizing South American political instability (dictators, revolts, Castro) against North American progress, though with subtle jabs at American institutions (corrupt politicians, industrial workers). The cartoons employ period satire addressing animal welfare, political dysfunction, and hemispheric geopolitics.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
868 Good News for Animals MILE, monkeys! Cheer up, dogs! There is hope for you, cats and rab- bits, mice and guinea pigs. Active war has begun against your enemy, the sham scientist—he of the knife and pinchers, the red-hot needles, the serum and the iron clamps. The International Anti-Vivisection and Animal Protection Congress meets at Washington in December. Few causes have had a better back- ing—governors of states, earls and dukes, famous authors, bishops, ad- mirals and major-generals, doctors, surgeons and celebrities of all nations are lending a hand. It is a righteous cause with victory ahead. Lire cannot believe that this country will forever tolerate unre- stricted and useless torture of helpless Other civilized nations are far ahead of us in this reform. animals. Rome’s Downfall T was certainly a sorry day for us when Rome had her famous down- fall. If Rome had known just what misery she was storing up for posterity by staging that tragedy, she would either have refrained from falling alto- gether or at least slunk off some place where the historians couldn't get hold of the facts. As far back as the oldest living resi- dent can remember, nothing h: able to happen in this country wi some orator’s declaring that it was a similar crisis which turned the balance just as Rome was trying to decide whether to stand or fall, dive, jump or volplane. Accordingly, every third page, more or less, of the Congressional Record has some harrowing mention of that tragic event, and everything under the sun, from patents to pickles, has cause. from been millinery ascribed to as millionaires, its chief “THERE, BUT BY TH E GRACE OF GRAFT, SIT I.” The Two Americas T is the custom for North America to—-well, to look tolerantly upon South America. Some of us can even see hope for them down there in the future, though, of course, any substantial improvement must be a long way off. below: South America, Has too many holidays. Has dictators. Revolts. Exiled Castro, Produces coffee. Cherishes the siesta. Has to submit to the Monroe Doctrine. Has depreciated money. Has bandits. Has the equator, Says “Carramba!” Performs on the guitar, Has industry shirkers. Has Liberators, Has moonlight serenades, Has jungle. Can’t we forget it? If America is going to fall one of these days, can’t we do it in our own independent and Can't we get up something original that will not hark back to the dim and distant past? characteristic way? A résumé of the present progress of the two grand divisions is given North America. Has twelve-hour work-days for women and children, Has bosses. Submits. Elected Cole Blease, a governor. Swills it. Prefers nervous prostration. Has to explain it. Has tainted money. Has Pullman car porters. Has a “ Mason and Dixon's” line. Says “1 should worry!” Plays the phonograph. Has Industrial Workers, Needs them. Performs ragtime. Has “ The Jungle”. Time Is Fleeting and— “TS that the same fellow we saw do- ing stunts © aeroplane?” “When was that?” “ About six months ago.” “Well, hardly.”