Life, 1920-06-03 · page 20 of 52
Life — June 3, 1920 — page 20: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes the 1920 U.S. presidential race using Lewis Carroll's "Lobster Quadrille" as its template. The cartoon references several potential candidates: "johnson" (likely James M. Cox), "hoov" (Herbert Hoover), and "leonardwood" (General Leonard Wood)—all figures discussed for the Republican nomination that year. The satire mocks how politicians are pressured into running despite reluctance, using Carroll's whimsical invitation-to-dance metaphor. The "uninstructed delegates will stab him in the side" references the backroom dealing and treachery of convention politics. The "Presidential sea" suggests the dangerous, unpredictable nature of electoral campaigns. The sketch of a woman and child fishing illustrates accompanying text about feminine political power—women had recently gained voting rights (1920), and the piece jokes that women now make straw polls unpredictable, removing a traditional male political advantage.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The Fish: THis seRVICk 1s TERRIBLE Presidential Possibilities to Lewis Carroll) “LJAVE you Presidential leanings?" (With apologic said a johnson to a hoov, “ There's a leonardwood in front of me, which I do not approve. See how eagerly the voters and standpatters all advance! They are waiting with a brickbat—won’t you come and join the dance? Will you, won't you, will you, won't you, will you join the dance Will you, won't you, will you, won't you, won't you join the dance? “You can really have no notion how delightful it will be When they take us up and throw us in the Presidential sea!” But the hoov replied, “Too far! Too far!” and gave a k askance— Said he thanked the johnson kindly, but he would not join the dance, Would not, could not, would not, could not, would not join the dance? Would not, could not, would not, could not, could not join the dance? “What matters it what strength he’s got?” his wily friend re- plied. “The uninstructed delegates will stab him in the side.” THIS PARTY LINE HASN'T ANSWERED FOR HOURS (' The bigger is the field,” he mused, “ the better is 1 “Your shyness curb, beloved Herb, come on and join the d Will you, won't you, will you, won't you, will you joir dance? Will you, won't you, will you, won't you, won't you join the dance?” Baron Ireland. From the Diary of a Clock howled, “O) Lo: The S HE Silver King, some years age back Thy universe, and give me yesterday.” gray and rheumy ting for that miracle. 1olg came along and everybody declared that the civilization had been turned back a hundred years. 1 After the war they turned me forward an hour in order to save daylight. I work ina straight twenty-four-hour shift, and have got to blow my lunch whistle so that everybody else can eat Anybody can tell I'm a liar by looking into my face The next thing that man will do is to pass a law pre me from striking. hibiting NOTHER of our masculine pleasures is about ¢ a thing of the past, thanks to woman suffrage.” “What do you have reference to?” “Taking the straw vote. Who would venture to predict a woman's ballot twenty-four hours before election?” Maybe you won Live's Title Contest. Final awards in the next number, comicbooks.com