Life — July 5, 1917 — page 10: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The Highbrow Hen" Cartoon Analysis This cartoon satirizes Senator Thomas Gore of Oklahoma, who proposed a single-term amendment for the U.S. presidency. The image shows a farmer (representing common sense) confronting a speckled hen (representing Gore's proposal), with the caption: "Why don't you lay one egg a year instead of two?" The hen replies, "Because I've taken the best control." The joke mocks Gore's idea as impractical and counterintuitive—artificially restricting presidential terms would be foolish, like forcing a productive hen to lay fewer eggs. The accompanying article argues that single-term limits would restrict democratic choice and prevent capable leaders from continuing their work. The satire positions Gore's "highbrow" intellectual proposal as disconnected from practical governance.