Life, 1918-01-24 · page 30 of 40
Life — January 24, 1918 — page 30: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes Herbert Hoover's economic philosophy during the Great Depression. The top cartoon shows wealthy figures stretching a massive rope while poor people underneath struggle to hold it up—illustrating how wealth concentration depends on labor exploitation. The skunk cartoon ("Why does nobody love me?") represents the unpopular wealthy, scorned by society for their selfishness. The right-side text mockingly presents Biblical passages about eating and enjoying food to Hoover, sarcastically suggesting these scriptures justify unlimited consumption by the rich while others starve. The title "Inappropriate Scripture for Mr. Hoover" criticizes his belief that wealth should be left untouched by government intervention—a position Life's editors viewed as morally indefensible during widespread hunger. The "Exclusive" dialogue jokes that the wealthy hoard resources for themselves alone, withholding from others.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE SANCTITY OF WEALTH Skunk: wity pOES NObovy LOVE ME? Inappropriate Scnpture for ir. Hoover AX” the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the arden thou mayest freely cat.--Gene- sis, 2:16. And make me savoury meat, such as I love, and bring it to me, that T may cate nesis, 27:4 We remember the fish which we did cat... freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the lecks, and the onions, and the garlick—Numbers, hou mayest eat flesh, whatsoever thy soul Insteth after.—Denteronomy, 1 Thou mayest eat grapes thy fill at thine own — pleasure —Denteronomy, 24 , that thou mayest have strength. thou honey, because it is good ; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste —Proverbs, 3. Let us eat, and be merry.—Luke, 15:2 And they... did eat their meat with gladness.—The Acts, 2:46. Let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth—Romans, 14:3. Whatsoever is set before you, eat, asking no question for conscience sake.—I Corinthians, 10 Exclusive OKUS: I like a girl who is re- 0 do I, if she is reserved for me.