Life, 1920-11-04 · page 23 of 60
Life — November 4, 1920 — page 23: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This satirical cartoon mocks professional labor organizers and union agitators of the early 20th century. The character "Comrade Blabb" represents a caricature of a radical labor activist—someone who appears more interested in perpetuating strikes and conflict than actually helping workers. The joke is that Blabb: - Actively seeks work stoppages to incite ("whether any work is going on that I can stop") - Manipulates satisfied workers into striking unnecessarily - Grows comfortable (enjoying hotel meals) while workers starve during six-month strikes - Manufactures false grievances to prevent workers from accepting reasonable company offers - Profits by writing about strikes for capitalist publishers The satire suggests labor agitators are hypocritical opportunists enriching themselves through workers' suffering while claiming to champion their cause. This reflects anti-union sentiment common in conservative publications of the era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
~-LIFE: From the Diary of Comrade Blabb, Labor Agitator 10:30—By a spirited address I am quickly able to put an end to that dis tressful state of affairs. The men vote to strike. jo—Am horrified to see that the United Button Molders are actually satisfied with their conditions of work, and I rush to the rescue. 9 a. M.—Read the newspaper to see whether any work is going on that I can stop. ' 1 Pp, M.—Am so touched by the poor 3:30—Find a fresh case fellows’ plight that I can scarcely en istic treachery, when the joy my frugal meal at a nearby hotel & Brown Co. threaten to end Llowers’ strike 11:30—Spoke_a few encouraging words to the Affiliated Piano Movers, who have been on strike for six months, and are beginning to feel hungry. errs waa 4 4:30—But fortunately I am able to -10:30—Wrote three more chapters to me. The company is actually low think up some more grievances for ‘he Profit of the Great y eners’ Strike, for which the enough to grant all the demands of them, and thus avert the disaster of the men, their accepting the offer. 3:45—It has proved very profitable capitalistic publishers have offered mea beggarly fifty thousand dollars, comicbooks.com