Life, 1916-01-06 · page 32 of 48
Life — January 6, 1916 — page 32: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The main cartoon depicts a father and son discussing Congress. The boy naively suggests Congress should be "renewed" like household members—replacing old members with new ones. The father explains this actually happens through democratic rotation, then launches into praise of Congress as "the only real ruler we have," despite acknowledging its flaws: extravagance, impulsiveness, hysteria, and excessive talk. The joke lands when the mother enters—the father has been sarcastically describing *her* governance of the household using Congress's own faults, creating a humorous comparison between parliamentary dysfunction and domestic management. The lower section, "Arms and the Man," is a lighthearted social commentary about fashion (the return of larger waists) and courtship, suggesting men need more "material to work with" romantically. The final item is a brief joke about pacifism: a pacifist won't defend his home against invasion, but will call his insurance agent instead—mocking pacifist ideology as impractical self-interest.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
32 do in Washington, because the pa- per says this is a new Congress just convened?” “Yes, my boy, in part. New Con- gressmen are coming in all the time and the old ones are going out. That happens because the common people are dissatisfied with the old ones and so Congress is being re- newed all the time, little by little.” “Isn't that a splendid idea? Would you like to have mother re- newed that way, and if she was, do you think, father, she would govern our little household any better or more completely than she does now?” “Tdon't know. She might govern it better, Harold, but she couldn't very well govern it more com- pletely.” At this moment there was a slight rustle in the hall, and as Harold’s mother came in his father con- tinued: “ But, after all, Harold, Congress: with all of its infinitesimal faults contains the combined and concen- trated wisdom of the whole coun- try. It is undoubtedly extravagant, frequently rules hy its impulses, is often hysterical, talks too much, takes itself too seriously, has no steady purpose; but it’s the only real ruler we have, and we must, therefore, abide by its decision: “Who in the world are you talk- ing about?” said Harold’s mother. Harold eyed his dear father. “ About Congress, mother,’ Harold. Ams and the Man TH = old Colonial style in female architecture appears to be coming back. Waists are growing larger, Smocked frocks havehelped some, and it may be also that the influence of Turkey has had something to do with it. In Tur- key only a girl with a large waist can excite the most exalted romance. Probably, however, the real reason for the return of the large waist is deep down in the psychologic undercurrents of our racial existence. Men are be- coming more coy all the time. They need extreme encouragement to make love. The large waist offers more in- ducement to the average man, who said MORAL, PRACTICE IN THE OPEN BEFORE BACKING INTO YOUR NICE NEW GARAGE + should never be made to feel that he has thrown away an entire evening on a false alarm. If they really come back, as now seems probable, large waists will be welcomed by a host of young men who have hitherto not had enough material to work with, Sitting on the sofa with a girl with a waist about the size of an umbrella rib, and endeavoring to extract any warmth from it on a cold winter even- ing, is a cheerless occupation. " S, sir, in case we were invaded your home would not be safe; your house might be destroyed, your wife and children——” Pacifist: Say no more; my insurance agent at once. T'll call up comicbooks.com