Life, 1915-05-13 · page 14 of 52
Life — May 13, 1915 — page 14: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three separate satirical pieces: 1. **Top cartoon**: Shows a couple on a hillside with a wife scolding her husband for choosing an inconvenient location for their activities. The humor relies on marital conflict over practicality. 2. **"Who Is New York?"**: A satirical glossary defining New York State political figures and institutions through cynical definitions. It mocks politicians (Whitman, Murphy, Barnes), the Public Service Commission as corrupt, Albany's wasteful capitol building, Tammany Hall as controlling hidden power, and judges as tools of the system. This attacks New York's political machine and corruption. 3. **"Made in Heaven"**: A short story excerpt about a respectable middle-aged married man being approached by a teenage girl. The darker implications suggest commentary on moral hypocrisy or inappropriate relationships. The overall tone is anti-establishment and cynical about politics and society.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
‘LUPE: Wife (who hates walking): THERE DEAR! 1 KNEW YOU COULD JUST AS WELL DO YOUR PLAYING IN ONE PLACE, IF YOU ONLY WOULD Who Is New York? HAT the average man knows about New York State politics is indicated in the following definitions: Wuitman: A man who was once District Attorney and got to be Governor because he put some man in jail who had killed some one; wants to be President but’ doesn’t know how, Pustic Service Comission: A small body of political grafters entirely surrounded by futile complaints. Atnany: A place where there is an unfinished capitol that cost several times more than it is worth, and is used as a dumping ground for corrupt bills and reputations. Murrny: A political boss who controls what Barnes doesn’t. Barnes: Same, who controls what Murphy doesn’t. Tue Bencn: A place where judges sit and are reviewed by the people and newspapers. Junce: A man employed by Tammany. Tammany: A lot of wicked men who through some mysterious power seem to run things as they desire. Tne Sunject as A Wuote: Something which we see columns about in the papers, covered by excited headlines, but of which nobody has the faintest idea, Alabama's Predicament F Alabama were cither the most illiterate State in the Union or the worst State for child labor, her chances for progress would be much simplified. The trouble is that she is both of these things, and it is easy to see how their interdependency complicates the situation. She can not pass a compulsory education law, for that would take the children out of the cotton mills and thus interfere with the profits of some of her most respected and unrespectable citizens. On the other hand, Alabama can not pass a law driving the children out of the cotton mills, for that would force them into the schools, which would greatly increase the amount which would have to be spent upon education and thus entail a most painful burden upon the always- timid taxpayer. Poor Alabama! How happy with either she'd be were "tother dear evil away! The Cop: ooray! you’ GoT ’IM, MISTER! Made in Heaven “you are my affinity!” As he spoke the nineteen-year-old girl he addressed looked at him with an air of uncertainty. “How do you know?” she asked, “ Because I am a respectable middle-aged married man, with a good reputation, I stand well in church and in my particular community am looked up to and trusted by all who know me, What more do you want?” comicbooks.com