Life, 1915-03-25 · page 32 of 44
Life — March 25, 1915 — page 32: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**"Bear it, Brother"** (top): Editorial cartoon satirizing calls for President Wilson to fire Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan. The Boston *Advertiser* demands Bryan's removal due to his pacifist policies during the WWI era. The cartoon depicts this as Wilson's domestic burden—he must "bear" the political pressure. Bryan actually favored negotiation treaties with France and England (mentioned in text) to delay war declarations, which the article ironically notes is strategically sound, unlike similar constraints with Germany. **"The Lawbreakers"** (right): Shows dogs labeled "DOGS MUST BE KEPT OUT" breaking through a fence—likely satirizing selective law enforcement or hypocrisy regarding regulations. **"Illiteracy in Alabama"** (lower): Mocks Alabama's Legislature for appointing four commissioners to address the state's severe illiteracy problem (one in six residents cannot read/write) while providing them no compensation or funding. The satire highlights performative action without genuine commitment to reform. The cartoon titled **"The Cricket on the Hearth"** appears partially cut off.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
516 Bear it, Brother “AJOL one day more!” says the Boston Advertise one day more” of William Bryan! President Wilson owes it to his own manhood, his own office (and to the solemn obligation he has as- sumed, with that office, to maintain undimmed the honor of the American people) to remove William J. Bryan from the office of Secretary of State; to put it beyond his power to medd in this crisis. The overwhelming ‘sentiment of the American people demands it. ery consideration of national honor demands it. And every vital aspect of nat safety demands it. And it should be done at once! You'll have to speak to William, neighbor, and get him to resign. No doubt we would try to spare him if he thought he ought to quit, but we do not notice this over- whelming anxiety of the people to get him out. The business of the State Department is now being well done; William is already on the road a good deal, and when the Chautauqua season opens we shall be as good as insured against his getting into the diplomatic danger zone at all. The President won't throw him out. The Secretary of State has not done anything to make him firable. And do you notice that we owe it to Mr. Bryan’s acti’ that we have treaties with France and England that bind us not to go to war with cither of those countries without a year’s delay for investigation of points of dispute by a THE LAWBREAKERS joint high commission? Thanks to these treaties, we can discuss neutral rights or any other subject with these countries for a whole year without danger of a fight. That's not a bad position in the present juncture. We could fight Germany, if necessary, without delay, because we have no such treaty with her. Illiteracy in Alabama 'HERE are optimists who say that Alabama is tired of being the most illiterate State in the Union. There are about three hundred and fifty thousand persons within her borders who can neither read nor write—one out of every six persons you meet as you wander about that be- nighted region. The, solemn Legislature, however, has just concentrated its massive intelligence and its supreme majesty upon the question and provided for the appointment of four com- missioners to think about the matter and see whether something can't be done. On the other hand, these commissioners are neither to receive any compensation nor be allowed any funds for expenses, the Legislature thus taking care, with true-born Alabaman conservatism, that the problem shall not be attacked with too much enthusiasm. It would easily seem, therefore, that while Alabama is tired of illiteracy, she is THE CRICKET ON TH MEARTIL not very tired. YBZBBZABBSZBZABSZARABZSZSZASZSSRS’ on comichooks com