Life, 1916-12-07 · page 39 of 94
Life — December 7, 1916 — page 39: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This Christmas-themed satirical page contains several disconnected jokes targeting early 20th-century American life: **"A Declaration of Independence"** parodies the Declaration of Independence, ironically arguing that money and dollar-chasing corrupt human virtue. It advocates abandoning materialism for "the simple life"—likely referencing the contemporary back-to-nature movement popular among progressives. **"The Second Generation"** shows Santa Claus retiring, telling his successor the job has become too exhausting—commentary on commercialized Christmas's toll. **"Advanced Surgery"** jokes about a doctor's bill-collecting visit, satirizing medical costs. The remaining cartoons are light domestic humor about clothing and ear-muffs, typical of period comedy. Overall, the page balances anti-materialist social criticism with gentle domestic satire, reflecting turn-of-century American anxiety about commercialism and modern life.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
4— Christmas Life 1019 a 4—~— SOMEWHERE IN MASSACHUSETTS “SHOULD AULD ACQUAINTANCE BE Forcot?” A Declaration of Independence HEN in the course of fiscal events it becomes necessary for a people to rend asunder the galling bonds which have made them slaves to money-grubbing and to assume among the exalted of earth that independent and autonomous condition of self- respect and self-improvement to which the laws of nature and of the simple life entitle them, a decent regard for the native weaknesses of mankind re- quires them to offer a few ing ing words of explanation thereof. We hold these truths to be self-evi- dent: that all dollars are created equal, that they endow their devotees with certain undesirable attributes, among which are greed, hard-heartedness and the pursuit of affluence, and that when a people, emerging from darkness, dis- cover what a deadening effect the dol- lar chase has, it is their right and duty to abolish it as the national ideal and summum bonum, and, in its place, to adopt an object that is more worthy and better calculated to preserve the finer qualities and sensibilities of the human race. THE SECOND GENERATION Old Saint Nick: WELL, SON, YOU'LL HAVE TO TAKE MY PLACE THIS YEAR. I'M GETTING TOO OLD AND FEEBLE FOR THIS STRENUOUS XMAS WORK. Advanced Surgery LUBDUB: I saw the doctor stop at your house this morn- ing. Anything serious? Harourre: You bet. He came to collect his bill. GHE: Don’t you think Miss Top- Interrupted over’s skirt is just a little JONES AT LAST FINDS A USE FOR THOSE “TDYOES she skate?” ultra? EAR-MUFFS HIS WIFE GAVE HIM FOR “T don't know. Every time I He: Yes, knee plus ultra! CHRISTMAS have asked her she has sat on me.” comicbooks.com