Life, 1916-10-05 · page 11 of 42
Life — October 5, 1916 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The top two cartoons mock early 20th-century courtship customs. The left panel questions whether old-fashioned engagement rings should be replaced by something else. The right panel suggests "the ankle bracelet of to-morrow" as an alternative—satirizing how engagement traditions might evolve. The main article, "Excess of Zeal in Baltimore," criticizes an overzealous ordinance regulating the "Star Spangled Banner's" performance in public spaces. The author argues this patriotic regulation, credited to engineer Layton Smith, is counterproductive and unpopular, and will soon be repealed. Below, "Why Should They?" presents a humorous school examination answer where a Swiss student incorrectly claims Switzerland has "no form of government, because they can hide in the mountains." The final item features Uncle Silas making a joke about cooking in kitchens versus dining rooms.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
iY) Ses fpr cnwws$, LS LA FFE? GRANDPARENTS TO BE REPLACED BY Excess of Zeal in Baltimore T the instigation of a few people with leisure to foment neglected forms of patriotism, Baltimore’s City Coun- cil has passed an ordinance regulating the “Star Spangled Banner,” and providing that it shall not be played or sung in Baltimore in any public place except as an entire and separate composition unmixed with anything else, and that when it is so played the musicians, singers and others pres- ent shall stand up, if practicable, and not to do it will be a misdemeanor, and you may be fined one hundred dollars. The ordinance is credited especially to Mr. Layton Smith, an engineer, who was once in the navy, and is heartily approved by the President General of the Daughters of the American Revolution. A LOVER OF FLOWERS THE ANKLE BRACELET OF TO-MORKOW ? But it is an imperfect measure as it stands. It should provide, further, that when the renowned Bal- timore product is played and ordinary people stand up under threat of fine, members of the Baltimore City Coun- cil and Mr. Layton Smith shall stand on their heads. That's how it will be with them, anyhow, for the or- dinance is unpopular and will presently be turned down. For grown-up people in civil life it is just as foolish to regulate by law the forms of expression of patriotic feel- ing as of religious feeling. The schools may properly have rules for children’s attitudes, the army and the navy for soldiers and sailormen, but one voter may not make rules for another as to postures or what tunes he shall play or how he shall play them, All we can claim from one an- other in that line is mere orderly conduct. Why Should They? I one of the schools in St. Paul, Minnesota, a fifth-grade class was asked in examination to name five countries of Europe, their capitals and forms of government. After naming four correctly, a boy concluded with this statement: “The capital of Switzerland is Berne. They have no form of government, because they can hide in the mountains.” CLE SILAS (visiting city relatives who use electrical appliances for cooking at the table): Well, T swan! You make fun of us for eatin’ in the kitchen. I don’t see as it makes much difference whether you eat in the kitchen or cook in the dining-room. comicbooks.com