Life, 1920-11-25 · page 21 of 45
Life — November 25, 1920 — page 21: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**The Main Cartoon:** Shows a man in a coat labeled as the "new boss" speaking to military/official figures. The caption "Maybe the new boss will help me" appears sardonic—likely referencing hopes that incoming President Harding (elected November 1920) would improve conditions after Wilson's presidency. **The Baseball Judge Landis Story:** The page's primary focus discusses an offer to federal judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis to become president of professional baseball at $50,000 annually. The satire: baseball magnates are offering a federal judge a massive salary to settle disputes, yet federal judges themselves earn far less ($7,500) despite dispensing actual justice. The article uses this absurdity to argue Congress should raise judicial salaries—and notes Congress is conveniently considering raising *their own* wages simultaneously. **The Underlying Point:** American priorities seem backwards: we'll pay handsomely to settle baseball squabbles but underpay judges handling real legal matters. It's a critique of misplaced values and congressional self-interest.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“ MAYBE THE > and what between the public shows and the private gossip, observing people are getting used to sights and stories they never expected to tolerate, and begin to wonder whether the distinction between right and wrong is not fading out. As for Europe, it is a gloomy story, very troubled at the best, and at the worst incredibly miserable and hopeless. The America-first idea that we can shut our eyes and ears to Europe, and let disaster befall there that we might have averted, and suffer no ill consequences ourselve: is a counsel of perdition, What our duty is may he debatable. If so, let us debate it, and find it out, and do it on the run; for to shirk is had morals, bad business, lad faith, had everything, It is folly, folly, folly! Mr. Bryan would have Mr. Wilson get out of office at once, and get Mr. Harding installed—as is possible— without delay, so that matters that con- cern us and all the world need not halt That will hardly be done. It seems less unlikely that Mr. Wilson will send the Treaty back to the Senate next month, and see what a combination of League- Republicans and Democrats can do about it. Partisanship has had its will with that EW BOSS WILL HELP ME” Treaty for too long: it is time that Duty had a turn at it. To pass it—to pass something that Republicans and Demo- crats could agree upon—might be a first step towards political and moral regenera tion, while to get it out of the way would scem to be the most helpful service con- ceivable to the President-elect. UT the talk of the newspapers at this writing is not so much of the League of Nations as of the Baseball League. Only the fans know what all the trouble is about, but there scems to be a trouble- some Johnson for the Baseball League as there is for the other. The offer of the presidency of the professional haseball organizations to Judge Landis of Chicago is quite an impressive incident of con- temporary life. Baseball magnates have frequent and tremendous disputes, and want a man of character, ability and standing to settle them. They suggest paying Judge Landis a salary of $50,000 per year, which is fair pay for a railr president, and as much as some of the lower-grade movie stars get. The J at present 0 per ye. dispensing justice as a Federal Judge he needs money he may possibly ace the offer, but it is a very great enter- tainment to be the kind of Federal Judg that Landis is, whereas President of the Baseball Assoc might not interest him so much, The receives Judge lation of wages and employ less absolute than st people thi: man’s need of money is very muct d the more choice he may Possibly finds his present salary suffici If the offer of the baseball Judge Landis brings it forcibly to the attention of Congress that the pay of Federal, district and circuit judges is much too small—especially for those who live in large cities—i and timely effect. the senators and represer sidering the clevation of their own wages from $7,500 to $12,500 or perhaps $15,000. ter of self-c earn the how ntrol, a have to earn it. Judge men to will have a good apers report that ives are con- If they vote themselves these increases they may think it wise to have company in their fiscal enlargement, and pay prac- tical attention to the needs of their fel- low Federal employees, the judges and the postmen. ny A: ] Na proclamation calling for the ob- servance of Armistice Day (Nov. 11) Governor Smith of New York, as re- ported in the papers, summoned “all citi- zens of the state to pay tribute to the world-war heroes, and to offer prayers for the repose of the gallant dead.” That is very interesting. the dead conform to the practice of the Roman Catholic Church, but it used to be that the Protestant churches did not ap- prove them. What the about them now is, but Protestants clination Prayers for Protestant rule only experts know ; pray according to in- rather than church millions of them, especially since the war, do habitually pray for the dead Another official communication that de- serves attention is that of the President, calling for generous support of the Red Cross. The Red Cross is the most avail- able single agency by which the American people can Feach, duties that political keep them out of. It is in good hands and well run. Give to it liberally E. S. Martin rules, and at home and abroad, the hesitations would comicbooks.com