Life, 1915-12-02 · page 18 of 100
Life — December 2, 1915 — page 18: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page combines a Maillard's luxury chocolates advertisement with a satirical article about gold's paradoxical role in American economics. The cartoon caption—"Ach! Dese American funny papers iss too good!"—depicts two soldiers (likely German, suggested by the accent) reading an American military journal, mocking American satirical journalism. The main article by Ellis O. Jones satirizes the absurd contradictions surrounding gold: Americans panic when too much gold flows *into* the country (fearing prosperity) yet also panic when it flows *out* (fearing scarcity). The piece references banker J.P. Morgan, economist Irving Fisher of Yale, and the 1896 presidential campaign—when gold standard politics dominated debate. Jones ridicules how gold discoveries excite people while economists warn that increased gold supply causes inflation and living-cost increases, making prosperity paradoxically ruinous. The satire highlights early 20th-century anxieties about monetary policy and gold's volatile influence on American economic stability.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
A most unusual Holiday display of Maillard’s exclusive importations—dainty, artistic, original. FrenchBonbonnieres, Novelties, Toys, Christmas Tree Or- naments, Favors. Your purchases will be packed ready for safe delivery and shipped to any address, on request. Mail orders given prompt and careful attention, BON-BONS CHOCOLATES ICE CREAMS FANCY CAKES Afternoon Tea in the Luncb- eon Restaurant, three to six Fifth Ave. at 35th Street New York “ach! DESE AMERICAN FUNNY PAPERS ISS Too coop!” Gold UST when we were all beginning to feel affluent over the reports of huge gold shipments from abroad and to imagine our own pockets growing heavy from the sov- ereigns that reposed securely in Mr. Morgan's vault we were informed that the influx of gold is a great menace to American prosperity. This came in an interview from a no less unimpeachable authority than Mr, James J. Hill. Which only goes to add one more black spot to the questionable record of gold. Nothing gets us into so much trouble. Nine out of ten of our panics, according to sol- emn experts, were caused by the necessity of shipping too much gold abroad. Now if we are to work ourselves into a panicky frame of mind because those abroad are shipping too much back, it is clear that we are damned if we have too much of it and damned if we have too little. But that isn’t all. We may regulate the shipping of gold back and forth, but Professor Fisher, of Yale, makes a specialty of telling us that the increased production of gold is responsible for the high cost of living, from which we may safely assume that if gold becomes much more plenti- ful it will be impossible for us to live at all. And yet, heedless of all this professorial information, the one thing that is sure to bring strong, indomitable men run- ning from all directions is the report that gold has been discovered. Then we must remember that gold was largely respon- sible for the campaign of 1896, a campaign which produced more talk with less tangible result than any campaign in the checkered career of this great and glorious country. Something decisive will have to be done about this gold matter sooner or later. Surely some inspired financier is capable of coming forward and eliminating this pesky dis- turber from our national warp and woof. Ellis O. Jones. Fo comichooks.cem