Life, 1914-06-11 · page 25 of 44
Life — June 11, 1914 — page 25: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This *Life* magazine page satirizes hypocrisy around child labor in early 1900s America. **"An Item of Debt"** (top) mocks New York State's growing "floating debt"—a euphemism for concealing financial problems through accounting tricks rather than addressing them honestly. **"Our Children and Others'"** (main article) targets the Manufacturers' Club of Philadelphia, whose president Nathan T. Folwell endorsed Attorney General Hensel's argument that child labor teaches "true manhood" and is preferable to "idleness and vice." The satire's bite: *Life* sarcastically notes that while such arguments are offered for poor children, a "complete search of the mines, mills and factories of Pennsylvania would fail to reveal" any actual children of club members working there. The implication is clear—the wealthy preach child labor for others' children while protecting their own from such exploitation. The bottom cartoon reinforces this: a grandmother and parent contradict each other about discipline and prayer, suggesting adults don't actually believe their own moralizing advice.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
1073 An Item of Debt EW YORK STATE has what it calls a floating debt, but it hasn't had it long. We see no account of ‘t in the school histories until 1902, in which year it was one hundred and twenty-one thousand dollars. By 1012 it had increased to one million and thousand dollars. As New York State's debt i creasing rapidly in all di ions, we presume new categories like this are necessary in order to keep the facts concealed as much as possible. 1f we must have debt, however, let us console ourselves with the realization that it floats, anyway, [7S 2 wise husband that cam remember his wife’s birth- y and forget her age. CAUGHT IN A SHOWER Our Children and Others’ OTS of people must favor child labor or there wouldn't be so much of it, but it isn’t often that they come right out and speak frankly 4 ANN) Mr, Nathan T. Folwell, president of AAA p the Manufacturers’ Club of Philadel- I (XY \}) \) phia, who in a recent letter to the Xpeeee es Public Ledger quotes the following with approval and credits it to ex- Attorney-General Hensel, of Pennsyl- vania: NIV ahout it. One of these exceptions is DYY KK) oy A vast quantity of sentimental energy expended in suppressing child labor ought to be more profit- ably employed in teaching children how to work. There is more promise of true manhood in a youth accus- tomed to honest toil than in one that rusts in idleness and rots in vice. We haven't had time to make a thor- ough investigation of all the facts in the case, but we are willing to lay a wager that this advice is intended for other children besides Mr. Folwell's and Mr. Hensel’s, A complete search of the mines, mills and factories of Pennsylvania would fail to reveal a hee so” toiling son of tender age, or a daugh- “WILL GOD GIVE. ME ANYTHING 1 PRAY FOR?” ter of any age, of any member of the “YES, DEAR, IF IT IS GOOD FOR YOU TO HAVE 17.” Manufacturers’ Club. “HUH! I SUPPOSE YOU'VE BEEN TALKING TO HIM, TOO.” “GRANDMA MUST NOT GIVE YOU SO MUCH CANDY, HARRY, AND I'VE TOLD comicbooks.com