Life, 1916-10-12 · page 8 of 44
Life — October 12, 1916 — page 8: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page discusses the 1912 presidential election's "Independents"—voters torn between Wilson (Democrat), Hughes (Republican), and Roosevelt (Progressive/Bull Moose party candidate, though not named here). **"The Lure" cartoon** depicts a woman labeled "Woman Suffrage" as bait in a trap, suggesting Independents are being lured by promises of women's voting rights. **"The Sleeping Beauty and the Beast"** appears to satirize political awakening or warns of danger if progressivism ("beauty") sleeps while conservatism ("beast") lurks. The text notes that Independents choose based on personal conviction rather than party loyalty, making this election unpredictable. The piece suggests Wilson's applied Christianity appeals to some voters while alienating Catholic readers who oppose his policies.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
612 The Line-Up of the Independents LOT of voters are for Wilson be- cause they are Democrats, and a lot for Hughes because they are Re- publicans, but the election will be set- tled by the Independents. They have been slow to make their choice, but by now most of them have made it, and some of them have dis- closed what it is. No doubt it is subject, like railroad time-tables, to change without notice, but barring accidents and very moving developments, it will hold. There has been very little herding of Independents either way. Choices are remarkably individual. Heirs to the same political tradition go opposite ways. President Eliot is for Wilson; President Lowell for Hughes; Amos Pinchot is for Wilson, Gifford for Hughes; Harry Garfield is for Wil- son, James for Hughes. So it is: brothers go different ways; fathers and sons separate politically this year. There is very little heat and almost no acrimony in the contest, but more cool and protracted reflection than THE LURE 7} hy PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING ON RETURN. there has been in many a presidential year. Men choose according to their fundamental beliefs and internal bent. They excuse or denounce what they conceive to be Mr. Wilson's errors ac- cording to the faith that is in them. The details of his performance are not the determining factor. The great matter is the governing idea that is in him and that has found expression in his course as a whole. People think they see in him+a champion of some- thing they believe in and line up with him, or they see in him a represen- tative of ideas that they fear, or of mere political selfishness, and line up with Hughes. Roger Babson gave a good illus- tration of this process which has been going on when he wrote to the League of Wilson Independents in Massachusetts : Although naturally a Repub- lican, I feel that Mr. Wilson stands for certain fundamentals of applied Christianity which the ‘G MOME AFTER A WEEK AT A COUNTRY BOAKDING-HOUSE world is greatly in danger of losing sight of if he should be defeated. That expresses the attitude of a good many Independents. Mr. Wilson stands for applied Christianity as they see it. The Roman Catholic brethren, however, do not see him in that light. One hears on all sides that the in- fluence of the hierarchy is opposed to him. His notions of applied Christian- ity seem to go very much against their grain, and they especially disapprove of his efforts or lack of effort in THE SLEEPING BEAUTY AND THE BEAST