Life, 1918-10-03 · page 10 of 34
Life — October 3, 1918 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This satirical cartoon critiques a proposed monument to Jefferson Davis in Kentucky. The image shows three figures: a man on the left pouring concrete, and two men on the right examining the work—one appears to be an African American man tipping his hat. The satire operates on multiple levels: it mocks the idea of honoring Davis (Confederate president) while suggesting the monument's "poured concrete" construction is cheap and undignified. The presence of the Black figure tipping his hat implies bitter irony—that formerly enslaved people would be expected to celebrate a monument to their oppressor. The accompanying text questions why Kentucky would honor Davis at all, arguing such monuments serve no purpose beyond regional resentment.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
rao eras A Monument to the Civil War appen. The Magazine re- TRANGLI Popular Mechanics ports that in Kentucky, on the line 1 tween Christian and Todd cou there is rising an obelisk of poured concrete in memory of Jefferson Davis. things It was begun about fifteen months ago, and the plan calls for a height of three hundred and fifty-one feet, which will he reached next year, Parts of three states can be seen from All of them are in the war permitting. the top of it. Union Why so tall a monument to Davis? He was a genth scholar. He was the figurehead of an enormous and gallant effort to ac- complish self-determination for some Mr. an and a BIRDS OF A FEATHER white people, accompanied by slavery for some blacks. His failure is rated nowadays as one of the great mercies of modern history, in spite of the much too drastic and prolonged miseries in Why so tall a shaft of poured concrete to a man who won his place in history by an effort to dissolve the Union, and whose failure has long si le regretted, except. by a id= timers in the North, who groan and that if the South had got away which it involved his adherents. e ceased to few it wouldn't be running the country now ? It is pure sentiment, that monu like the Waterloo. nent ; French wounded Tt won't sa out him persona three hundred and fifty-one perpen- dicular feet of poured concrete. It will say: “It took the states to the north of me four hard and bloody years to persuade the states south of me not to leave the Union.” They may call it a monument to Jef- ferson Davis, but it will really be a monument to the Civil War. 0 doubt such monuments will rise some day in German they be named after? , but whom will HE buggy hadn't gone two miles when the man who was driving turned the mare around and started for home. The girl looked ghim. “What is the matter with, you, Clara?” the man asked solicitously. “You're just like the old she pouted. and shorter.” Kaiser, “Your drives get shorter comicbooks.com