Life, 1916-11-02 · page 27 of 46
Life — November 2, 1916 — page 27: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three distinct satirical pieces from an early 20th-century American magazine: **"Two Classes"** essay argues that reformers are ultimately futile—they labor to improve the world but leave no permanent guardians of their work, and many predecessors have failed similarly. The conformists, meanwhile, succeed "too well" at accepting things as they are. **"The Landing of the Pilgrims"** cartoon (top) appears to satirize modern Thanksgiving by showing pilgrims being filmed by a movie camera—likely mocking commercialization or media spectacle around the holiday. **"Hail, Thanksgiving!"** celebrates the 1916 election by suggesting Americans should be grateful *regardless* of outcome (Wilson or Hughes winning), since any alternative would be worse. It names real political figures (Marshall, Fairbanks, Champ Clark, John W. Weeks). **"An Open Letter to Alabama"** criticizes child labor practices in the state, sarcastically suggesting Alabama replace its state seal's eagle with starving children working, highlighting industrial exploitation of minors. The page reflects Progressive-era concerns: political cynicism, labor exploitation, and the tension between reform and acceptance.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Two Classes 'HE world is divided into two classes of people: those who are trying to reform it and those who are trying to conform to it. The man who starts out to reform the world is laboring under a disad- vantage which he does not always per- ceive. The world was here a long time before he came, and will, doubt- less, be here a long time after he leaves. Assuming, therefore, that he reforms it to his own satisfaction, he has no one here upon whom he can ab- solutely rely to guard his interests after he has gone. But assuming that he has been fortunate enough to discover such a person, in a short time he also will follow. If reformers could be sure of coming back at regular inter- vals and straightening things out, cor- recting little faults here and there and putting everybody right once more, why then it might all be worth while. But alackaday! No reformer, so far as known, has ever come back. Per- haps, after all, this is one of the con- solations that the world permits it- self. Then again every new reformer must not forget that a lot of other re- formers, some of them with high or- ders of ability, have preceded him, THE LANDING OF THE PILGRIMS HAD IT OCCURRED RECENTLY and while we are by no means pessi- mists, we must confess to a very shaky feeling about most of their work. We cannot help but wonder if, after all, the world might not have been better for their presence if they had paid more attention to themselves and less to the world, As for the other class, those people who conform to the world, perhaps the worst thing that can be said about them is that many of them succeed too well. “OH, DOCTOR, I’M SO GLAD YOU’VE COME! WILLIE WAS TAKEN SICK ON HIS WAY FROM SCHOOL, I'M AFRAID IT’S OVER-STUDY ” Hail, Thanksgiving! 'OR Americans this ought to be the happiest Thanksgiving within recol- lection. If President Wilson is re- elected next Tuesday, how pleased we all will be that we are not to have four years of Hughes. And if the Repub- licans sweep the country, how com- fortable we will all feel that we are spared four more years of Wilson. If there lives a pessimist so gloomy that he cannot extract joy from these medi- tations, let him remember that either Marshall or Fairbanks must be de- feated. And if all these seem negative blessings, let him reflect that the unpleasant alternative of having to vote for either Wilson or Hughes might have been even worse. Suppos- ing we had to go to the polls and choose between Champ Clark and John W. Weeks. That ought to be enough to make every American, with two exceptions only, cry “Hail, Thanksgiving!” but An Open Letter to Alabama EAR ALABAMA: Why not revise your present coat of arms? In place of the eagle, with the motto “Here we rest,” don’t you think that a group of gaunt, emaciated little children, with the legend “ Here we work,” would be much more ap- propriate? Sincerely yours, Pxo Bono Pustico, comicbooks.com