Life, 1919-09-25 · page 15 of 40
Life — September 25, 1919 — page 15: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes Senator Reed Smoot of Utah, a Mormon politician opposing the League of Nations. The cartoon depicts a courtroom scene where a man seated at a desk (likely a judge or official) is being confronted by two visitors, one claiming thirty years of harboring a fugitive without reporting it. The accompanying article critiques Smoot's opposition to the League, which he believes conflicts with Mormon prophecies about America's role. The satire suggests hypocrisy: Smoot demands strict enforcement of law regarding the League while Mormon teachings allegedly harbor unorthodox views about government and prophecy. The cartoon's caption plays on this tension between legal obligation and sectarian belief.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Sustic “ JEDCE, 1 BEEN 1ODOL Mormons and the League o |T seems the Mormons are divided on the League of Nations. Senator Smoot of Utah, a Mormon, and Sena- tor Borah of Idaho, who, though not a Mormon, has a large Mormon constitu- ency, are opposed to it. Mr. Borah is of a political tem- per and disposition that 4 would naturally incline him to oppose the League whether his Mormon supporters dis- liked it or not, but Mr. Smoot rests his opposition frankly and squarely on the opinion that the aspirations of the League are contrary to forecasts con- tained in the rev to Joseph Prophet. ations made in 1823 Smith, Jr, the Mormon f the Pe DID YOU ASSAULT THE CONSTABLE OK THIRTY YEARS So he says in a letter to an editor in Utah that has been quoted in the newspapers. He quotes sundry sages from the Mormon bible to effect that until the second coming of the Lord,” which, he argues, * pas- “universal peace will not come sets at naught any claims that the League Nations will ¢ he thinks it was revealed to Jo Smith that w prevent war.” Sin: was further notice, Senator Smoot is against any combination that threatens to stop it. going on till Another thing: he finds basis in the Mormon books for belief that truth and liberty will go out from this land to the nations, but he says: “If this country enters the League and mixes up with other nations, they will con- trol, and Ameri carry out its destiny.” But it that ‘a will not be able to seems other eminent WHEN HF N' NO ONE EVER CALLED ME ARRESTED YOU? A BOLSHEVIK BEFORE!” Mormons do see eye to eye with Sena- tor Smoot about the between Joseph Smith, Jr.'s revelations and the Li antagonisms ions, so there both of the as prudence demands, and gue of are Mormons on sides question, itinerant speakers on both sides get a hearing in the Tabernacle. In these days when so many people believe in fresh information coming across from the beyond, and Conan Doyle calls the spiritist’ communi it would not rsons familiar tions a “new revelation be a bad exercise for | with the current. spiritist books to Book of with the Mormon and literature. Joseph Smith, however, dug up gold examine the compare it new plates on which were writings that he deciphered, and of course that is quite a different line of proceeding from anything in modern spiritism. comicbooks.com