Life, 1918-10-17 · page 28 of 38
Life — October 17, 1918 — page 28: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This cartoon satirizes changing class relations during Prohibition era America. An adult man (representing Capital/authority) confronts three working-class boys (representing Labor) who've been caught stealing apples. The irony is sharp: the man admits *he* stole apples as a youth without consequence, yet now threatens these boys. Their response—"we haven't stolen anything, we are only taking what we ought to have as long as we work for it"—represents labor's new assertiveness about fair compensation and rights. The cartoon's title suggests this represents a "new spirit" in labor-capital relations: workers now openly claim entitlement to fair wages rather than accepting crumbs. The juxtaposition of the man's hypocrisy against the boys' principled stand mocks outdated authority and suggests growing worker consciousness and demands for equity during the post-WWI period.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“BOYS, YOU DON'T SEEM TO BE AFRAID OF ME, STEALING APPLES, I RAN.” Boy LONG AS WE WORK FOR IT Vale Beer HE our continued in December, all welsh rabbits thereby taking to the woods, has been re- ceived with that calmness so characteristic of true Beer has long been an object of in- terest to many and of positive dev It was made in announcement that beer will be dis- tion to a select few ‘ypt six or seven thousand years ago, midnight hops not being uncommon even in that unnaturally dry country. The Babylonians also used it in their hanging gardens, and the killing of Prohibitionists on the outskirts of this WE HAVEN'T STOLEN ANYTHING, WE LABOR AND CAPITAL—THE NEW SPIRIT WHEN TWAS YOUR AGE, city was not the least of the popular amusements. It seems a pity now that beer, having had such a continuous run of so many million nights, should be suspended But the news that it will no longer be officially recognized by this government will, no doubt, do a great deal to de- stroy the morale of the Germans, even if it costs the government about four hundred million dollars in extra taxes. At a Greenland Hotel HAT fellow must be some sleep- ee “How so?” “He wanted a room for a whole night.” AND WAS CAUGHT AKE ONLY TAKING WHAT WE OUGHT TO HAVE AS In Parenthesis HOUGH, notwithstanding however, but still, A On the contrary, yet, as it were, |v the way, It indeed it is true, that perhaps, com: what will, In passing, perchance, by the by, as the Moreover, if yet, in so much, chance | am told, anyhow, of a truth, it well, Howe'er, as of yore, it is granted, for sooth, Since, in this manner, I know, one can tell. M. Cywyn.