Life — May 13, 1920 — page 12: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Looking Backward" - Political Satire on Prohibition This page satirizes "Pussyfoot" Johnson, a real Prohibition reformer who successfully advocated for alcohol bans in England and America. The article praises Johnson as a "game sport" for his anti-alcohol work, though acknowledges he was unpopular and faced rough treatment. The top illustration shows Johnson surveying a devastated landscape—likely representing the social damage Prohibition caused. The bottom illustration, captioned "Time and Tide Wait for No Man," depicts two figures in turbulent waters, presumably commenting on how Prohibition's consequences were inevitable and inescapable. The satire suggests that while Johnson's intentions were earnest, his reform efforts produced unintended harmful consequences that society couldn't escape, no matter how well-intentioned the reformer.