Life, 1920-03-04 · page 58 of 78
Life — March 4, 1920 — page 58: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This 1919 satire mocks Congress's inability to agree on veteran benefits following WWI. Seventy-three competing bills propose absurdly disparate schemes—cactus farms, alligator farms, mountain-goat ranches—located in impractical swamps and wastelands from Alaska to Rio Grande. The cartoons illustrate the resulting chaos: "high cost of living," "increased taxes," "increased wages," "prohibition," and "influenza" all swirling around confused veterans. The satire's point: congressional diversity of opinion paralyzes action, with the text darkly noting "too many doctors have killed the patient." The accompanying text praises military leadership under General Pershing for leaving Congress behind in France, implying that body was incompetent. The broader message: well-intentioned legislative efforts devolve into political theater that benefits no one.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
420 Seventy-Three Different Plans EVENTY-THREE different bills heen introduced into Con- gress for the purpose of rewarding the ex-service men. They would seem to vary somewhat according to the par- ticular business of their congressional have sponsors, illustrating the fact that no two men’s ideas of a good time are exactly the same. A dry-land cactus farm, an under- water alligator farm, a mountain-goat farm and a five-thousand-dollar loan with interest minutes are among the ideas that € heen advanced to make the ex-soldiers happy. The locations of these varied enterprises are also picturesque: the Everglades of Florida, the Dismal Swamp, small Louisiana payable every twenty several swamps, and various and sundry dry and waste places stretching from Alaska to the Rio Grande. Some of the leaders in Congress re- port such a fixity of purpose combined with a corresponding diversity of means to reward the men who were in uniform, that they freely predict the movement will end ¢: it started, in talk. However, this will not be the first time that too many doctors have killed the patient. In these circumstances it is comfort- ing to reflect that the ALE. F, in their expedition to can the Kaiser, had the wisdom to leave Congress in Wash- ington and take General Pershing to France. Just actly where picture an PRET NZ: a4 ut army going up OM, MOTHER, DEAR, 1 NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT, BUT UT—(BO0-100!)—DID PAPA EVER FORGET TO Kiss YOU IN THE MORNING? increased wages triplets | A PERFECT against Germany’s finest with seventy- different campaign, varying all the way from putting salt three plans of on the enemy's tail to digging an elephant stockade to entrap him! Observations the rate of exchange keeps on dropping, we can soon take a five- dollar bill and pass a week-end with the Prince of Wales witkout financial embarrassment If Mr. Wilson keeps on improving the way the doctors say, then even if Dempsey fails us, the championship is still safe. —~_ increased taxes AMERICAN DAY Has Hoover got enemies enough to qualify? At present he can only count on Senator Reed. Note to American Legion: Why not be inoculated against political issues? Tt may not be long now before we'll all be staying away church, from only. one We can't all be happy, but at les we still have the privilege of keepi still about it. T. LM Limited “iS your Uncle Sam pro-British?” “Not enough to drop his H’s— Hylan and Hearst.”