Life, 1916-11-02 · page 21 of 46
Life — November 2, 1916 — page 21: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The main illustration, titled "Westward, Ho! 1620," depicts a sailing ship under stars, evoking American colonial/pioneer imagery. The accompanying text discusses President Wilson's Cabinet, specifically criticizing Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels as unsuitable for his position. The author argues Wilson keeps him despite complaints, comparing this to Lincoln retaining the abrasive Secretary of War Stanton because he was competent and loyal. The political commentary addresses the 1916 election campaign. It notes that despite dissatisfaction with Wilson's administration—citing poor military preparation, the Mexico situation, and the eight-hour labor law—many voters will support him over Republican challenger Charles Evans Hughes because Wilson at least represents Democratic principles and a clear direction, whereas Hughes offers nothing definite. The satire suggests voters are reluctantly backing Wilson not from enthusiasm but from lack of better alternatives, though the author predicts "the drift is to him" anyway.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
WESTWARD, HO! 1620 olfactories are blunted, and if he must handle repellant instruments he is just as well off in not being too sensitive to objectionable qualities in his help- ers, It was amusing the other day when Mr. Wilson spoke of the men who wanted the scalp of the present Controller of the Currency, “ because,” he said, “for the first time in many years he has made the banks obcy the banking law.” And he added: “ Know- ing him to be honorable, knowing him to be efficient, I can conjecture no other reason.” . Perhaps not, but if he searched out- side of his own mind for a reason he would be quite likely to find his friend, the Controller, described as harsh, truculent, overbearing; a man who would rather make an enemy than a friend, and who likes to turn the knife after he has driven it in. Nevertheless, the Controller is an able as well as a formidable man, and probably docs make the banks obey the law, even in the section which he favors. And probably Mr. Wilson sel- dom sees him, and never suffers from 763 the qualities which make other gentle- men want his scalp. And after all, Stanton was over- bearing, and Lincoln knew it, but still kept him, because he was honest, able and devoted, and because he had to work with such instruments as he could get. So must every President, and must sometimes carry unsuitable officials for a time because it is politically inex- pedient to drop them. Whether Mr. Wilson knows how unsuitable Mr. Daniels is for his job we can only con- jecture (as he would say), nor can we be sure that in case of Mr. Wilson's re-election Mr. Daniels will not con- tinue where he is. But we are free to hope the contrary, and since the en- gagements of all the Cabinet officers terminate automatically on the fourth of next March, Mr. Daniels will not be re-engaged except by a distinct act of the presidential will. HE campaign is running to roor- backs in its close, and lots of valu- able white paper is devoted to matters of no concern; as to Mr. Ridder’s re- ported intrusion of his views upon the mind of Mr. Hughes, and Mr. Baker’s comparison of the men of Valley Forge to the Mexican revolution- aries. Mr. Baker is a clever man, but that not a happy comparison. Its re- lation, however, to Mr. Wilson’s elec- tion is very, very faint. A great many people seem to be go- ing to vote for Wilson who don’t want to. They are going to do it because, in spite of Williams and Daniels, and delay in military preparation, and Mexico, and the eight-hour law, and other things, Mr. Wilson, as the leader of the Democrats, stands for some- thing they want, and is heading where they want to go, whereas Mr. Hughes stands for nothing definite, and is headed for nowhere in particular. Lire is not a seventh son to say who will win, but the disaffection with Mr. Wilson seems to be abating. The drift is to him. comicbooks.com