Life, 1916-08-10 · page 23 of 38
Life — August 10, 1916 — page 23: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The page contains two distinct satirical pieces: **"Great Americans" portrait**: Mrs. O. Duckson Drakes, identified as a woman frequently sued by her dressmakers—a jab at wealthy Manhattan society women known for frivolous spending and litigation over fashion debts. **"Our National History Series"**: A father-child dialogue mocking the Wilson administration (Democratic) as a "vacillatus Wilsonatus bug" that feeds on "hot air" and federal reserve resources. The satire attacks Wilson-era policies as ineffective and circular ("going round and round"), with veiled criticism of pacifism ("extremely peaceful," unprepared for attack). The "four years" lifespan references a presidential term. **"Nothing Done!"**: Bertrand Russell quote sardonically criticizing educational reform movements (Montessori System specifically mentioned) as ineffective despite their proliferation—eighty books published with no actual results. The cartoons mock both wealthy frivolity and progressive political/educational movements as wasteful and pointless.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
GREAT AMERICANS MKS, 0. DUCKSON DRAKES, WHO IS SUED BY HER DRESS MAKERS OFTENER THAN ANY OTHER WOMAN IN NEW YORK Our National History Series “DAPA, what is this strange little bug I found when out walking this morning “That, my child, is the vacillatus Wilsonatus, or Democratic Adminis- tration bug. It feeds on hot air and the green leaves from the federal re- serve tree, and its principal method of locomotion is going round and round.” “And doesn’t it have a long life?” “Rarely more than four years, al- though, when specially favored by Providence and when it keeps itself away from the feeding grounds of elephants, it sometimes lives longer. As you see, it has variegated colors, and when in flight makes a noise like the braying of an ass.” “But, papa, just look at its legs 239 What lots of them! And does it use them all “No, not all at one time. It some- times stands on one of them and medi- tates on the tariff. When all its legs are in use it makes a loud humming noise as if it were really learning some- thing from past experience. But, of course, it never does, because that is not w it is here for.” “Well, well! How interesting! Is it dangerous?” “On the contrary, my son, it is ex- tremely peaceful, It believes in mak- ing no preparation for being attacked, and then, when anybody comes along and attacks it, of yield efully to the gentle process of being put out of existence.” Tiida dhe Nothing Done! RITING of the educa the respected Bertrand Rus- jon of chil- dre: sell say Hardly anything is done to foster the inward growth of mind and spirit, This will be bad news for all that army of educational reformers and en- thusiasts who have for the past few years been engaged in “ uplifting” the child. Nothing done! There must have been at least one new system a week for reconstructing the child's morals. A few bands of savage psychologists, armed to the teeth with new machines to rm thoughts, have a ked the children night and day. The Montessori System has ravaged the country. About eighty books on how to bring have been issued from tired presses Nothing done! thousand different up children TENNIS TERM ILLUSTRATED “ ¥ VERY CLOSE MATCH” comicbooks.com