Life, 1919-04-17 · page 17 of 46
Life — April 17, 1919 — page 17: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The top cartoon, "In Arid Territory," mocks Prohibition enforcement. An officer admits he cannot locate a suspect's liquor source, while the judge (His Honor) suggests he'll investigate—with a knowing "ahem"—implying the judge himself will help obtain illegal alcohol. The satire targets corruption among law enforcement and judiciary during Prohibition, suggesting officials tasked with enforcing the law were themselves complicit in its violation. The essay "Poverty" uses paradoxical language to ironically praise poverty as a "physician" and "surgeon," suggesting it prevents excess and removes harmful things. This appears sardonic commentary on social attitudes toward the poor. The brief "Barnyard Note" is a humorous animal anecdote unrelated to politics. The reference to President Wilson concerns his difficulty convincing the Senate—likely referencing League of Nations ratification debates of 1919-1920.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Manrex be Hares IN ARID TERRITORY Officer: YOUR HONOR, I CAN'T FIND OUT WHERE HE GOT THE LIQUOK, His Honor: Leave MAM TO ME, AND 1 WILL—AHEM—SEE WHAT LCAN DO, Poverty OVERTY is the greatest of physicians. His method is prophylactic rather than therapeutic, but in point of esults he is in a class by himself His practice attests the efficacy of the ounce of preven- ion in big doses. Poverty ranks high as a surgeon, too. Nobody else cuts utso many things that are not good for us. In a way he has the respect of the profession. Where he is in charge of a case no other practitioner is apt to nterfere. scems to take a great deal of time for President Wilson BARNYARD NOTE to convince all the members of the United States Senate MR. AND MRS, BUFF-COCHIN HAVE ENGAGED MR, YALLER PUP TO that he is wrong. SCRATCH FOR THEM THROUGHOUT THE COMING SEASON comicbooks.com