Life, 1916-11-02 · page 18 of 46
Life — November 2, 1916 — page 18: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains several satirical pieces reflecting early 20th-century American concerns: **"Amending Old Documents"** mocks proposed changes to the Episcopal Prayer Book, particularly the removal of religious language deemed "political" or "outdated." The satire suggests these edits—omitting references to Jewish practices, removing the doxology, softening marriage vows—represent misguided modernization that strips religious tradition of substance. **"Primitive Man"** (illustration) depicts a caveman with crude weapons, likely commenting on human nature's unchanging brutality. **"Our Thanksgiving Dinner"** contrasts 1776 (attended by American Founders: Adams, Warren, Hancock, Smith) with 1916 (attended by immigrants: Einstein, Swansen, Wylanski, Schmidt). This reflects contemporary anxiety about immigration and demographic change in America. **The bottom cartoon** shows a judge punishing someone for removing a muzzle to drink water—satirizing harsh, arbitrary justice toward the powerless. The overall theme: social/religious tradition under pressure from modernization and immigration.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Amending Old Documents NE change proposed to the Episcopal Convention at St. Louis was to take the politics out of the Lord's Prayer by omitting “ For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory,” at the end. These words, it seems, are not in the original text, but were added by doxologists. Another change would substitute “keep” for “obey” in the marriage service, and excuse the groom from en- dowing the bride with all his worldly goods. It was proposed, furthermore, to omit from the prayer-book prayers for “ Jews, infidels and Turks,” on the ground that the classification is not polite to the Jews, and to omit the prelude to the ten commandments as being out of date and purely Jewish. While the Episcopal hand is in, why not vacate the injunction against making graven images which forbids all sculp- ture, and modify the fourth command- ment by omitting the details of Sabbath keeping? These two passages are just as Jewish as the prelude and just as much out of date in Christian countries. RAWFORD: He must have a pretty good reason or he wouldn't break the lease, Cransitaw: You bet he has. His wife figured out that they could afford a more expensive apartment. PRIMITIVE MAN Our Thanksgiving Dinner 1776 NCLE SAM walked to the head of the board, And greeted each one on the wa: Adams and Warren, Hancock and Smith, For this was Thanksgiving Day. 1916 Uncle Sam walked to the head of the board, And greeted each one on the way— Einstein and Swansen, Wylanski and Schmidt, For this was Thanksgiving Day. “WITHOUT A MUZZLE, EH? WHAT HAVE YOU GOT TO SAY — FOR YOURSELF?” . , . “YER HONOR, I COULDN'T REACH THE WATER IN THE FOUN- “I OOK here, my boy, who's been teaching you to smoke = TAIN WITHOUT REMOVING THE MUZZLE, AND——” cigarettes—your sister or your mother?” “TEN DAYS ON THE ISLAND! NEXT!”