Life, 1915-05-06 · page 27 of 56
Life — May 6, 1915 — page 27: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**Main Cartoon ("Necessity Knows No Law"):** A burglar enters a bedroom at midnight but politely asks the homeowner about insurance before stealing. The burglar reveals he's now a combination burglar and *income tax inspector*. The satire mocks the invasiveness and authority of tax collection—suggesting government taxation is as aggressive and unwelcome as burglary, yet cloaked in official legitimacy. This reflects early 20th-century American skepticism toward expanding federal income tax powers. **"Who Is Our Prize Donkey?":** A rhetorical editorial questioning which prominent public figure deserves the title based on stupidity, conceit, and vulgarity. The page doesn't identify the target, inviting readers to suggest candidates. **"Got His Tafts Mixed":** A brief anecdote about Father Shealy misattributing a quote to President William Howard Taft when it actually came from his father, Judge Alfonso Taft—a gentle joke about genealogical confusion. **Minor item "At the Dance":** A short joke about stepping on feet while dancing.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
803 * Necessity Knows No Law HE man with a dark-lantern in one hand and a revolver in the other, who entered the chamber short- ly after midnight, bowed pleasantly to the owner of the house, who sat up in bed. “Excuse me, sir,” he s pleas- antly, as he laid the revolver in front of him and took out a pad and foun- tain pen. “ You are insured?” “T am.” “Amount of policies?” They were given, “Name, family, property, business, and, in fact, everything ——" The man in bed stopped 1 visitor. “One moment,” he said; “who are you, anyway? Aren't you a burglar?” The other man laughed htly. “Certainly, sir,” he replied. “But the burglar business is not what it used to be, and so I have combined it with the office of income tax inspec- tor for this district.” insistent WhoIs Our Prize Donkey ? S ZRAL names suggest themselve: at once to a student of our fairs. But in such a numerous com- pany, and where there are so many nice gradations of stupidity, it is not so easy to make a choice. Prominent donkeys abound. But is there one donkey who looms above the rest; who for genuine ninity, blatant conccit, vulgarity, fat- headedness and utter inability to understand distinctions of taste is pre-eminent above all the others? We think there must be. Who is he? The Lady: Doctor: x Got His Tafts Mixed oe ARE YOU FOND OF LOKSTER SALAD, DOCT 0. I'M NOT FOND OF IT, BUT I'M VERY GR EFUL TO IT. e Alfonso Taft was a very good e BS . . and his opinion on this subject ‘ATHER SHEALY, S. J., who, in ie as well worth quoting as if it had F a recent sermon (as related in LIFE) een his. son's i quoted ex-President Tait as saying it aaa g was a Shame for Protestants to edu- A t the Dance cate their children on tax money con- tributed by Catholics, has discovered, “PAVE you learned any new after some research, that this senti step ment was expressed by Judge Al- but I've stepped on a lot of fonso Taft, the ex-President’s father. : NOT TO HIS TASTE comicbooks.com