Life — December 23, 1915 — page 7: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis of "Progress" from Life Magazine This satirical page contrasts old and new legal systems. The poem by Walter G. Doty describes how medieval justice was swift and brutal—accused criminals were simply executed by drowning. The modern section mocks contemporary law as absurdly complex: accused persons now endure lengthy court proceedings with multiple lawyers arguing over procedural technicalities ("charges are drawn or writ"). The cartoon below illustrates this: a brutish, demonic figure labeled "Justice" stands over a dead body while a well-dressed man walks past—captioned "A PERFECT DAY!" This dark humor suggests that modern legal processes are so inefficient and corrupted that even genuine justice becomes a grotesque mockery, leaving the same moral outcome as medieval brutality.