Life, 1921-08-04 · page 30 of 34
Life — August 4, 1921 — page 30: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains **satirical commentary on absurd new laws**, primarily two pieces: **"Nice New Crimes for the Innocent"** mocks legislation in Pennsylvania and Michigan: - Pennsylvania passed a law requiring flags at public entertainments to be "reasonably clean and in good repair," with $100 fines for violations. Life ridicules this as trivial lawmaking that punishes ordinary people over technicalities. - Michigan attempted a "newspaper libel bill" targeting Henry Ford's paper, designed to criminalize criticism of religious cults. The bill passed both House and Senate before a senator realized it would also criminalize quoting the Bible itself—forcing reconsideration. The satire's point: **legislators are criminalizing absurdities** while claiming moral purpose. The Pennsylvania flag law wastes enforcement resources; the Michigan bill would have made theology itself illegal. The advertisements for traveler's cheques, a pen, and Life magazine subscriptions are commercial content typical of the era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
For Vacationists —as great a relief as the mountains or sea-coast — “ABA SES Ciomes tions ane $20, $50 and $1 $100 —compact, easy to carry, handy to use BANKERS TRUST COMPANY New York City fins every GFiged wie pa hocret lim) The Philosopher utters The Magic Phrase, “SUBSCRIBE TO LIFE” For the Surgeon—Sharp—but clean cuts heal quickly. Special Offer Enclosed find One Dollar (Canadian $1.20, Foreign $1.40). Send 1FE for three months—twelve issues—to Open only to new subscribers; no subscrip- tions renewed at this rate. “Open Sesame” is out of date. LIFE, 598 Madison Avenue, New York One Year $5 Canadian $5.80 (d) Foreign $6.60 Nice New Crimes for the Innocent HE theory of punishment is that it js good for us when we have earned it, New opportunity for attaining what. ever benefit it affords is offered in Penn. sylvania by a new law which requires dis- play of the flag of the United States “reasonably clean and in good repair” at all public entertainments and halls, audi- toriums, tents, rooms or places of amuse- ment. Churches and places used for re- ligious worship are exempt, but if you hire a hall for a show and do not put a reasonably clean flag up, the penalty is $100. Life must be very easy and in- expensive in Pennsylvania to justify the legislature in resorting to such means as that to detach honest people from their money! The Michigan legislature lately had an opportunity to establish a new crime, The Welsh newspaper libel bill prohib- ited newspapers from attacking, misrep- resenting or adversely commenting on religious cults. It was aimed at Henry Ford’s paper. The bill passed the \ich- igan House and actually passed the State Senate, but when a Senator discovered over night that there were a good many things in the Bible that could not be printed in Michigan if the bill became a law, the Senate reconsidered it. So theologians can still bite thumbs at one another in Michigan without being | fined or imprisoned. Competition ODERN girls’ scant-skirt styles long since dealt a knockout blow to the burlesque shows; and now why go to the movies when you can look out of your front window almost any time and watch a holdup? FEATURE (BRAXTON “ BELT “MeN lailored from modish leathers of many finishes Buckles of smartest design odying / gmisttes oF Styles ‘The extra thickness over the a is shaped to fit the body Amply phable and yielding to the movement of the muscles it allows the belt to be worn compar- atively loose and still give to the trousers that so desired support and stylish hang. Menace br THE PERKINS-CAMPBELL CO. mew yorn 9 Beefeer. cenacaco into a Directe cast. Beh Dalton Sch highly quite brunt Scr the ft have more of Ch Th moun fort comicbooks.com