Life, 1919-07-17 · page 23 of 40
Life — July 17, 1919 — page 23: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes American anxieties of the 1920s through mock constitutional amendments. "Our Own Amendments" is a humorous list proposing absurd legal changes, reflecting genuine social tensions of the era: The amendments mock competing ideologies—Amendment Twenty targets new religions (likely referencing concern about religious movements), while Amendment Twenty-second references "Bolshevism" (anti-communist anxiety). Amendment Twenty-first prohibits lynching (a serious social evil treated satirically). Amendment Twenty-fourth mocks anti-immigrant sentiment by proposing ancestry shouldn't disqualify candidates. Amendment Twenty-sixth sarcastically suggests immigrants, anarchists, and "bomb-throwers" should have equal rights—ironically exposing prejudice. The large portrait labeled "Suggested Costume for a New Ruler of the Universe" appears to caricature an authoritarian figure wearing ornate regalia, likely critiquing those proposing sweeping constitutional changes. The page's final question—"What has become of the 'poor workingman' who used to say every Saturday night, 'Well, thank goodness! I still have my job'?"—suggests economic anxiety about job security during this period.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The Unmanageable Heart IS hard to have a heart of twenty, And be in fact two score and more; It's sure to play you pranks a-plenty, And make a would-be beau a bore. To flowers the youthful honey-lover Is a most welcome sight to see; Hiow sad about a bloom to hover When you're too old to be a b Clinton Scollard. Our Own Amendments OTHING seems easier nowadays than to amend the Constitution of the United States. Such being the case, Lare feels that duty calls it to bring forward its own private list of amend- ments, to the end that the world may profit As Nineteenth to Twenty-sixth Amendments, thereby inclusive, we propose the following: Nineteenth—Everyone in the coun- try shall be square meals daily, whether willing to work or not. Twenticth—No new religion may be started without vote of approval from two-thirds of those already in existence. Twenty-first--Lynchings shall not be assured of thr HOW SHOCKING! (Weather report from ship in mid- ocean): UNUSUAL ATMOSPHERIC CO: DITIONS, WITH A FULL MOON ONLY FOUR DAYS OLD SUGGESTED COSTUME FOR A NEW RULER OF THE UNIVERSE permitted on Sundays, legal holidays or after dark. Twenty-second—Bolshevism shall not he unduly encouraged. Twenty-third—In_ all hundred thousand or over there shall cities of one be at least one newspaper printed in the English language, in addition to the regular Jewish and German dailies Twenty-fourth—American ancestry shall not count against candidates for public office. Twer y-fifth—No one shall be de- prived of life or liberty for failure to sing “The correctly Twenty-sixth Star-Spangled Banner” Citizens in good standing shall be considered as equal in all respects to aliens, anarchists and This list creased from time to time. bomb-throwers. may be in- HAT workingman " used to every Saturday night, “Well, thank goodness! 1 still have my job"? has become of the “ poor who comicbooks.com