Life, 1916-03-16 · page 17 of 44
Life — March 16, 1916 — page 17: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This satirical piece parodies corporate law and state jurisdiction loopholes. A young girl named Malice, arriving from New York, encounters stuffed-shirt "Straw Men" (likely representing lawyers and judges) in a courtroom setting. The satire targets how corporations exploit state boundary differences—particularly New Jersey and Nevada's permissive incorporation and divorce laws. The joke: merely crossing a state line magically transforms a "Person" into a "Corporation," complete with multiplying identities wearing silk hats (symbols of formal authority). The piece mocks: - Corporate legal formalism that contradicts common sense - State laws designed to attract business through lax regulations - How technicalities allow individuals to evade accountability by becoming entities - Nevada's notorious divorce industry ("Reno will attend to your case") The girl's multiplication into two dozen versions of herself—all suddenly formal corporate officers—visually emphasizes the absurd legal fiction that one person becomes a bureaucratic apparatus.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
vide a Your pishing. “LIFE: Malice in Blunderland The Magic Lines EN, I wish you to ob- s as an example of us entry,” said a large Straw ist as little Malice, having ited from New York to New hy the blowing up of the ns Market, came tumbling e chimney of a house at New- al other Straw Men, some wear- at periwigs, stood in a circle tched Malice with a sort of upspoke a very tightly stuffed Justice. “That depends upon the status of our client. Perhaps she is a Corporation. Little girl, what are you?” “T'm just a Person,” she faltered. “A lady in New York once called me a Person, so—” “That settles it," said the stuffed Justice, glancing slyly at the others. “Any Person in New York becomes a Corporation in New Jersey. That's what state lines are for, you know; the minute you cross one you can im- mediately change into something else.” “*That settles it!’ said the stuffed Justice” “All wearing silk hats” “Goody!” cried the childish in- truder, clapping her hands. ‘“ Where can I go to become the wisest woman in the world?” “To Nevada,” replied a short Straw Man. “Reno will attend to your case. Ladies who are foolish in other es, get wise in Reno. I—” “Tf it please the Court,” growled a square Straw Man, “we are wasting time.” “That's what we're here for, as I interpret it,” squeaked a thin Straw Man. “This constitutes a civil suit.” “T didn’t come here meaning any harm,” protested Malice, timidly. “Naturally, you would say that, be- ing a Corporatio: interrupted the Justice, pompously. “ We have already gone through the formalities for you. You are now President, Secretary, ten or a dozen Directors and Janitor of the Blunderland Liability Company, a Corporation under a New Jersey char- ter.” “One person couldn't be all that at once!" exclaimed Malice; but the fact remained that she felt very queer, and looking suddenly in the mirror was fascinated to observe that there were at least two dozen of herself, all wear- ing silk hats and impressive side whis- kers. “Oh, take me away from here!” plead all the little Malices at once, hor- comicbooks.com