Life — May 4, 1916 — page 27: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This political cartoon from Life magazine depicts Lady Liberty (identified by the liberty pole and cap on the left) wielding a scythe over a mass of small figures below. The caption asks pointedly: "Forgotten What You Stand For, Sister?" The satire appears to critique Liberty herself—suggesting she has betrayed her principles by violently suppressing or eliminating a crowd of people, possibly representing laborers, protesters, or a marginalized group. The cartoon's message is that Liberty, the nation's founding ideal, has abandoned her moral purpose through oppressive action against ordinary citizens. The artist (signature appears to read "Cesare Walker" or similar, dated 1916) is using sharp irony: the symbol of American freedom is shown committing violence, implying hypocrisy between national ideals and actual treatment of people. This likely reflects labor unrest or social upheaval of the 1910s-era Progressive period.