Life, 1918-01-17 · page 30 of 40
Life — January 17, 1918 — page 30: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains two distinct satirical pieces: **"Send Bigger Men to Congress"** criticizes how senators and representatives are selected. The text argues that Senator Newlands, despite his railroad expertise, barely survived re-election under the direct primary system. The satire contends that Congress is filled based on local interests rather than national qualifications, suggesting a "selective draft" might be necessary to improve legislative quality. **"Patriotic Mr. Rockefeller"** mocks John D. Rockefeller's claimed patriotism during World War I. The piece notes that while reports credit him with $70 million in war aid, much consists of Liberty Bonds (profitable investments paying 4% interest, generating $1.2 million annually). The satire calculates he's donated only 5% of his $800 million fortune, sarcastically expressing concern about his financial welfare. The cartoon bottom-left titled "Every Allied Aviator's Dream" appears to reference war-related humor, while the illustration shows a farewell scene.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
tm (iS ‘LIP E Send Bigger Men to Congress (a. / WHE could beter have spared a major-general or two than Senator Newlands. He was an expert in various important details of being a senator. In par- ticular he knew railroads. Under the direct primary system Mr. Newlands narrowly escaped de- feat the last time he c: re-election. Somehow, better intelligence must me up for be used in the selection of senators and representatives if Congress is to continue to he a successful branch of our government. Somehow, in the there found forty or fifty distri various states must he s willing to return representatives who are qualified to deal with national ai- fairs and to keep them, term after term, in their places. As it is now, local send to the House most of the men who get there. Na- interests tional interests cut no ice in most congressional and not enough in the choice of senators. It may be that in the end we shall he elections, iorced to fill Congress by a selective draft “[ UNDERSTAND that Adele is thoroughly unscrupulous. “Oh, ye anythin; her soul : when Adele gocs into she goes into it with all EVERY ALLIED AVIATUR’S DREAM. Patriotic Mr. Rockefeller RECENT Mr. John D. Rockefeller is “keenly interested in the war, is intensely patriotic, and re report published in the Times says that ly to stand by his coun- try to the limit of his resources This is good news. Mr. Rockefeller is credited with a fortune of one billion dollars. Probably this has shrunk some lately.” In the same report about him in the Times is said to have expended seventy million dollars in aid of the war. It appears, however, that this is qualified some- what. For example, Mr. Rockefeller, ont of this sum, has contributed thirty million dollars for Liberty Bonds. Con sidering that these bonds are the best investment in. the world, and that Mr. Rockefeller still holds them, he has apparently not suffered any privation from buying and holding them. They pay four per cent., so that Mr. Rocke- feller’s income from this source alone is one million two hundred thousand dollars, This ought, with e keep the wolf from the door Mr. Rockefeller made his immense fortune ont of this onomy, to country. Most of it came out of the ground in pipes. suming that his fortune is eight hundred million dollars, and that he has actually given away forty million dollars for war aid, then he has actually given up five per cent, of his principal. But it is good to believe that he still has enough to sub- sist upon. just now We all have to worry some about the country To have to worry about Mr. Rockefeller and where his next meal is coming from, might be too great a burden PEAKING of economy, water for summer use. now is the time to can your ice “WELL, ULL BID YOU Goov-BYE”