Life, 1920-02-05 · page 20 of 52
Life — February 5, 1920 — page 20: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three satirical pieces from an early 20th-century American humor magazine: 1. **"A Boy Scout's Will"**: A humorous mock will where a young scout bequeaths his possessions to working-class and Black children. The satire lies in treating Boy Scout equipment as valuable inheritances and in the casual mention of organizing a scout troop "among the colored boys"—likely mocking both the earnestness of scouting ideals and period racial attitudes. 2. **"Logical?" cartoon**: Satirizes a "Red" (communist sympathizer) in New York who argues that while Soviet Russia has no freedom of speech, America's freedom of speech is worthless if one cannot advocate overthrowing the government. The joke mocks the logical inconsistency of criticizing America's freedoms while praising a totalitarian system. 3. **"Respite" cartoon**: Two men discuss when beef trusts will be dissolved, concluding they'll get "breathing spell" before prices rise again—satirizing business monopolies and inflation. The "skin you'd love to touch" advertisement appears unrelated to the satirical content.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
brother, who has wanted it ever since he learned to tell time; My waterproof match box and hunt- ing knife, to James Fanning, to he held in trust until he can repeat the Scout Oath; To all boys in general I bequeath the knowledge that the Boy Scout or- ganization teaches obedience, bravery, loyalty, self-respect, kindness, thrift, cleanliness and reverence; that it makes men of its members, and that no boy can possibly go wrong by join- ing it. Logical? 5 HAT’S the matter?” we askec the Red in New York. “What's the matter?” he answer: “Back in Russia, thanks to Lenir there is no freedom of speech. Ar body criticising or hampering Soviet government is shot as a cow er-rzvolutionist. Here we have free- dom of spe But will you plea tell me this: What good is freedom of speech if one cannot advocate the overthrow of the government?” Respite OBBLE: When are these beef trusts to be dissolved? Stoxe: Don't recall the date: | it’s not for some time yet. “Then we'll all have a breathing spell, at least. before the prices go again.” +S “| WISHT WE HAD MORE CUSTOMERS LIKE HER, JOP, SHE AIN'T GOT THE FAINTEST IDEA WHAT TWO POUNDS AN’ A HALF AT SIXTY-TWO CENTS A POUND OUGHT TO COME TO” A Boy Scout’s Will JOHN W. BRADSHAW, pioncer scout of the Wolf 9 Patrol, having attained the age of maturity and realiz- . ing that my Boy Scout days are numbered, do hereby give, E} devise and bequeath my scout assets, tangible and in- <A tangible, as follows, to wit: Sh My uniform, pack and equipment, to Larry O'Toole, the f x ye} son of my mother’s laundress, to be preserved 3 for him until he is old enough to use them: 5\ My scout’s manual, axe and compass, to George S, Washington Jackson, 3d, son of my father’s handy man, with the admonition that he organize, if possible, a troop of scouts among the colored boys of the village; My strap watch with the “see by night” dial, to Roscoe. my small “A SKIN YoU'’b LOVE TO TOUCH” comicbooks.com