Life, 1919-10-16 · page 21 of 36
Life — October 16, 1919 — page 21: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes the **Anti-Saloon League** during Prohibition. The main article, "An Oversight," mocks the League's claimed innocence in enforcement activities. The League denies involvement in arrests of Brooklyn bartenders for selling alcohol ("goods that were too wet"), but the text suggests their denial is unconvincing—they hired private detectives to police compliance, yet claim ignorance when arrests occur. The cartoon caption at bottom appears to joke about Prohibition's absurdity: a man complains that instead of sleeping peacefully like others, he's forced to "walk in his sleep like anyone else" while looping—likely referring to the desperate measures people took during alcohol prohibition (possibly illicit distilling or drinking). The satirical poem "Meek" expresses working-class anxiety about economic survival rather than pursuing fame—a commentary on Depression-era concerns. The overall message: the Anti-Saloon League's self-righteous denial of its enforcement tactics was transparent hypocrisy.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
IT 1S BETTER TO BE LONELY Meek Fo’ fame or handsome features, \ fig | wouldn't give; But I'd be satisfied if 1 Could just afford to live. An Oversight ROTHER ANI Ant League rises to deny port that the League, dis with the way 1 offic of the satisfied are cn wartime Prohi bit as hired privat detectives to see that th public and the barkeep themselves. 1 nct that detectives did three bartenders behave ars to he private arrest f THAN NEVER TO BE in Brooklyn for dispensing goods that were too wet, but Brother Anderson insists that the League had nothing to do with these arrests. His anxiety to absolve the League is hard to under- dy for a minute doubts + DEARL THAT'S WALKING IN HIS SLEEP LIKE ANYONE ELSE, THE ALONE Anti-Saloon League nd if what Brother that the ble of such tacti Anderson says tion can be that a bet, and is now trying to make a the only explana- ague overlooked virtue of its oversight MAKRYING AX * Loops JUST WHAT 1 GET FOR Loop” comicbooks.com