Life, 1914-07-23 · page 10 of 40
Life — July 23, 1914 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes Prohibition and an unnamed congressman's inconsistent stance on alcohol. The main illustration depicts "London Bridge is falling down"—likely referencing the famous nursery rhyme to suggest societal collapse. The text describes a congressman who publicly opposes alcohol but privately admits he drinks and objects to *forcing* beliefs on others. He's elected on a prohibitionist platform yet cannot reconcile his personal behavior with his public position. The cartoon criticizes hypocrisy: politicians advocating strict prohibition while personally indulging. The small illustration showing a man claiming he can't marry due to lack of wealth underscores the era's tensions around personal freedom versus public morality—key issues during Prohibition (1920-1933).
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“London Bridge is falling down—falling down—falling down” His Quietus There wasa tumult. He raised his hand. “One moment, my friends! I rarely NCE upon a time a congressman made a specch to his constituents, In the course of his speech he was expected to explain his attitude on all questions under the sun, He invited inquiries, and succeeded in explaining himself to the satisfac- tion of everybody until one day a man got up and said: “How do you stand on prohil tion?” The Prohibitionist party, through letters sent from all parts of the coun- try, has been besieging Congress to vote against alcohol. Congress had staved off the inevitable moment. This congressman had heretofore “ dacked ” with the rest. To the amazement of everybody he replied : “T don't believe in it.” His locality was largely prohibition. touch alcohol myself. For myself, in- deed I do not believe in its use, al- though I would not hesitate to take a drink if I wanted to, But, as between alcohol and fanaticism, give me alcohol every time. I object to the principle of forcing your convictions upon others, Present facts, if you . Stop there. More crimes have been com- mitted, more injustice done, because of forcing others to believe as we do ourselves than from any other cause. Put me down, therefore, as against two things.” “And they are?” shouted the crowd. “Alcohol and prohibition,” replied the congressman calmly. At the next election he went back to private life. How could any man be elected on a platform like that? She: wy pon’T You MaRRy? He: 1 MAVEN’T YET FOUND A GIRL WHO CAN SUPPORT ME IN THE LUXURY I AM ACCUSTOMED TO.