Life, 1920-08-26 · page 12 of 36
Life — August 26, 1920 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page presents a satirical play mocking Republican hypocrisy during a political campaign. The title "Preaching and Practicing" sets up the central joke: politicians advocate for government conservation measures while personally wasting resources. The main cartoon "How to Charm a Traffic Policeman" depicts someone (likely a politician) speeding in an automobile—a luxury suggesting wealth and privilege—while appearing to charm their way out of consequences. The "Campaign Helps" section features Q&A responses emphasizing that party affiliation matters more than actual policy substance or character. One response explicitly states "it is the party" that counts, not the individual. The monks cartoon satirizes political chaos, suggesting politicians' infighting destroys the party itself ("beat it out of here before the tidal wave arrives"). Overall, the page critiques campaign-era hypocrisy and superficial party politics.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
-LIFE: Preaching and Practicing A Serio-Comedy in @ Prologue, One Act and an Epilog Prologue Enter Paver, emaciated and disheveled. am scarce! Throughout the land men cry for me, beg for me, bid for me! I rest on railroad sidings. I hide in dark corners of warehouses, | am part of the noble order of H. C. L. But what fear 1? At Washington the patriots guard me, shield me and protect me—with words, words, words!" Act One Enter Morninc’s Matt, heavily laden. “Tam the Eyeopener of the day! I bear the intelligence of the world—and information from Washington. From the world at large—these few letters and these papers. From Washing- ton—Ict’s count, one, and two, and twenty and ad infinitum! Let's read! ‘For release Tuesday at 10:31% o'clock, Washing- ton time—Speech of Hon, I. M. Allover of the Feleral Hotair Commission at the fifty-first weekly convention of the Safety Pin Polishers of the World’—only fifty pages of good white paper, and every office in town gets the speech. What's this? ‘Why Spend Your Own Money?—Use It for Taxes'—four copies to the same address. Ten unreadable pages that seem to be about ‘ Planting Ragweed in Washington Square.’ Here's a beautiful brochure entitled ‘Save the Paper,’ sent free to any address anywhere without request. A poster three feet square (it looks like a broadside advertising horse medicine) that shouts ‘Save the Potato Bugs.’ And here ‘Speech of Hon. Darius Doolittle in the House of Representatives on the “sow iO SAGAN A BRAD FIG: POLICHAIA Problem of the Callus on the Spider's Toe '—six hundred pages - . Sree of words, words, words! Well, not much to-day, is there? Offer: mex, you! ERE S|A. SUMMONS YOU'\WERE (DOIN Only twenty-three different things—only two thousand or so THIRTY-FIVE MILES AN HOU Melons yuerraa| sheets of good white paper! Alas, it has been inked!” Epilogue Enter a Government “ Agency for Conservation.” “Save tHe Parer!” Curtain Campaign Helps Use LIFE'’S Ready Replies, Universal and Interchangeable; Guaranteed Until November Third Questions Answers What's your opinion of : Well, it isn’t so much the this man man that counts these days; Cox > it is the party. Harding Well, the platform doesn’t Reider mean much these days; it’s A the man that counts. What do you think of the Democratic . rae . Don't you think the Well, the party isn’t so im- . portant any more; the plat- nL party seems shot form is the thing. Democratic. to pieces? Well the winner is a sec- ondary consideration; the Who do you think will principle at stake is the main win? issue. Republican First Monk: Let's BEAT IT OUT OF HERE BEFORE THE r is plainer than it used to be why no senator has ever be- TIDAL WAVE ARRIVES! come President. comicbooks. Son