Life, 1915-12-16 · page 29 of 44
Life — December 16, 1915 — page 29: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains two distinct pieces of satirical commentary: **"A Visit from Our Former Office Boy"** (main illustration): A dialogue mocking American materialism and impatience. An American reporter interviews a wise figure (described as "King Solomon") about "eternal verities." The satire targets American culture's obsession with standardization, efficiency, and quick trends—feminism, eugenics, woman suffrage, the fox-trot—treating serious philosophical concepts as commodities. The reporter's inability to understand that some truths cannot be bought or manufactured becomes the joke. **"Get In with Bryan, Chancellor!"**: Political commentary on William Jennings Bryan and Chancellor Day (likely William Oxley Thompson, Ohio State's chancellor). The satire criticizes sudden political realignments around preparedness issues, suggesting strange political bedfellows are forming. The implication is that previously opposed figures now find common ground on military preparedness—an ironic political shift the cartoonist finds ridiculous. **"Slightly Acquainted"**: A brief joke about marriage as a shallow social arrangement.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
eternal verity. What more do you want to know about it? What more can an American reporter know about it?” “But, if it is a good thing,” I per- sisted, “why shouldn’t I know about it?) We Americans, short-lived as you say we are, are looking for good things. We love to try experiments We'll do anything once. We have feminism and eugenics and woman suffrage and efficiency and the fox- trot and ‘war babies’—why can’t we start a new fad with say a couple of eternal verities?” “You can’t,” he said, shaking his head, “You're too smart. You know too much already. Eternal verities are A VISIT FROM OUR FORMER OFFICE BOY not for you. An eternal verity is something that cannot be standardized. You can’t buy it, or create it. You either have it or not. And now I must ask you to leave me.’ “But, my dear King Solomon,” I urged, “the interview has only just begun.” “Sorry,” he said, “but it always gives me a headache to talk to an American. Good evening!” “HE is a very nice chap, but T felt particularly sorry for him. He didn’t get on with his first wife.” “Does anybody?” Get In with Bryan, Chancellor! CiHaANc =LLOR DAY President “has become all at once an acrobat,” turning a somersault from pride-too-great-to-fight to preparedness, The Chancellor thinks preparedness talk is “ idioc Get right in with Bryan, Chancellor. My, but these new issues make some strange bed-fellows! says the Slightly Acquainted * RE you acquainted with that lady in the purple gown?” “ Er—well, I have merely a marrying acquaintance with her.” comicbooks.com