Life, 1913-11-20 · page 28 of 44
Life — November 20, 1913 — page 28: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
## The Cartoon The illustration depicts a sergeant organizing soldiers by religious affiliation: Protestants in the front rank, Catholics in the second rank, and "fancy religions" relegated to the rear. This is satire on religious discrimination and segregation practices, likely reflecting tensions about Irish Catholic immigration and prejudice in American military and civic institutions around 1913. ## The Letter Column Below is a humorous letter from "Shirty," written in exaggerated working-class dialect ("de ginks," "High-brows"). He advocates for three-sided courtroom lighting rather than the architect's one-sided design—arguing that proper lighting exposes the defendant's face while hiding the accused's ability to read others' expressions. This is satirical commentary on courtroom justice, suggesting the system advantages the guilty over the innocent poor. Both items critique institutional discrimination and unfair practices affecting marginalized groups—religious minorities and the working-class accused.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
A CLASSIC ILLUSTRATED Sergeant: youRS RIGHT! PROTESTANTS IN THE FIRST RANK; CATHOLICS IN THE SECOND RANK} FANCY RELIGIONS IN THE REAR! What Do You Think? We are Constantly in Receipt of Important Letters Which are Too Long for Our Limited Space. Brevity is Desirable To de Editor of de Kick Kolum, Lirr’s Printin’ Joint, Somewhere North o’ de Bowery, Little Old New York. Dear Pal: I see in de papers dat de High-brows on de New York bench ain't fer de round- house court. Day ain't de boobs ter say what's ter be built ;—we're de guys, for we live on de East Side an’ we're de ginks what use it. Since I took on de easy life an’ got me front an’ side view in de National Galry I've had several oppertunities ter pipe de best winder-light for a court- room. I cud put one over on de high- brows if day'd give me a say but day won't ;—dat’s why I’m writin’ ter youse. Get me? Now, what de Quiet Profession wants is a court-room lit on three sides. Yer say it can't be did? Can de chatter. It’s de way ter do it. It’s de eye of a boob what talks,—if yer can see a feller’s lamps yer know "bout what he's thinkin’. Now wid win- ders on three sides, de light hits de Bench in de eye, it hits de array of legal talent in de eye, an’ it hits de twelve gents in de Box in de cye. De rough- neck in de cage wid his back to de wall (in more ways 'n one), he can pipe all de other peepers in de court an’ his ain’t seen. D'yer get me? De nearer day come ter dat scheem de better fer us;—are yer on? I see dat de high-brows want winders on two sides ;—well, dat’s next best fer us Silent Professors. But de way dat gink arshcetect’s got it fixed now, His Honor ain't got de light in his cyes, de District Attorney an’ de other Mouth- Picces ain't got de glare 'n der peepers, de Guilty or Not-guilty Gent an’ his ‘leven pals ain't got de glow in der gigs but de poor innocent boy in de dock, he’s got de lime-light square in his lamps. None o’ dat in mine. If day can’t do winders on three sides, make it two, an’ I'm wid de Hig! brows ;—but nix on de one way light. If youse an’ de mob up your way is wid me, shove dis in yer Kick depart- ment columns, if youse ain't, ycr'd bet- ter had, fer yer can't tell what one o' de Push is up next. Hopin’ ter see yer dere soon, as ever, Suirty. Boston, Mass., September 29, 1913. comicbooks,