Life, 1919-11-20 · page 36 of 46
Life — November 20, 1919 — page 36: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three separate satirical pieces from the prohibition/women's suffrage era: **"Good-bye, Suffragists!"** mocks the Women Suffrage Association's plan to dissolve after the 19th Amendment's ratification. The author sarcastically welcomes the organization's demise, suggesting women should simply join existing male-dominated political parties instead. The piece references Carrie Chapman Catt's leadership and ironically invokes Susan Anthony's legacy, claiming her "soul" continues activism even in death. **"On the Future Bread Line"** is a darkly comic sketch about economic collapse. A former trust president seeks relief at a breadline, but the clerk only serves "former presidents of trusts"—satirizing how corporate leaders face destitution during economic crisis. **"Even Keeley's May Come Back"** concerns the Keeley Cure Institute (an alcohol treatment facility closing due to prohibition). The author cynically argues that eliminating alcohol won't solve human problems since money-lust and romantic entanglement will continue causing social chaos regardless. All three pieces reflect post-WWI anxieties about social change, economic instability, and prohibition's promised but illusory salvation.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
886 Good-bye, Suffragists! HE Woman Suffrage Association expects to xo out of business as soon as the suffrage amendment has been ratified by thirty-six States. So Mrs. Carrie Chapman Catt says, and she ex pects the organization to dissolve at its last convention next February in Chicago. Perhaps it will provide for itself a sort of reincamation by merging into the National League of Women Voters, but it is not disorderly to hope it will not, but that its members will go into the existing political organizations of men and punch them up to do better. If the Suffrage Association quits, the Anti association will doubtless quit also, leaving the world to fall back into its great primary division of people into males and females. That will be nice and will remind us all pleasurably of old times, except that both kinds of people will vote When ; reviewing the exploits of the great suffrage leaders, spoke of Susan Anthony as “that indomitable soul who has long been laid to rest,” she spoke inaccurately. It is only the body of Susan Anthony that is laid at rest. All advices, especially the most recent favor belief that her soul is working overtime probably on jobs of organization. Souls like hers are not at all likely to quit work. On the Future Bread Line LERK: What are your credentials? Appticant: I was once the head of a large mercantile business. CrerK (coldly); Well, we are feeding no one today but the former presidents of trusts. Father: NOW, MY SON, 1M GOING TO GIVE YOU SUME GOOD ADVICE. SOME DAY YOU'LL WISH YOU HAD TAKEN IT. IT’S THE SAME ADVICE I WISH I HAD TAKEN WHEN MY DAD GAVE IT TO ME. | Even Keeley’s May Come Back EARING that, in consequence 0 prohibition, the famous Keeley Cure at White Plains (N. Y.) has collapsed and that its home is to be sold at auction, the Evening Post re marks that “many men will feel that with the falling of the hammer which marks its passing, the last frail link with a departed era has been irrevoc ably snapped.” But if worse comes to worst, and Keeley cures are gone for good, there will still remain money, the love of which is even more dangerous than love of rum, and that disposition of people to bestow themselves on persons of the opposite sex which we call love Money and love will continue to get people into so many scrapes that rum will hardly be missed as a factor of mischief comichooks.coyn