Life, 1921-09-15 · page 8 of 34
Life — September 15, 1921 — page 8: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**"Sanctum Talks"** features a dialogue between "LIFE" (the magazine personified) and John S. Sumner, president of the New York Society for the Suppression of Vice. This appears to be satirizing Sumner's censorious efforts—he's challenging the magazine on moral grounds, claiming its content threatens "the rising generation." LIFE defends itself against accusations of impropriety, with Sumner suggesting the publication suppressed a work called "Jurgen" (likely Alexander Cabell's novel, which faced obscenity charges). The satire mocks Sumner's paternalistic moral policing and his attempts to control what the public reads. **"At the Zoo"** is a simple joke cartoon showing a child asking his grandfather whether lions go to heaven, then ministers, playing on the irony of moral authority.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Sanctum Talks « OOD morning, Lire. May I—” “I don’t recall you, sir. How- ever—" “My name is Sumner—John S. Sum- ner.” “Sumner? Where have I heard that name before?” “I’m president of the New York So- ciety for—” “Oh, yes—Vice, and all that sort of thing. Successor to Anthony Com- stock. I recall you now. Your business is to stir up an ever-lagging interest in sex matters. Yes, yes, yes. What can I do for you?” “Well, Lire, the fact is, I want to ask you a very important question—as man to man.” “Don’t say that, Mr. Sumner. Just say you want to ask me a very impor- tant question, and let it go at that. And what is your important question?” “T want to know, Lire, whether I am really an ass or not.” “Um. That is a stumper. you think about it?” “My motives seem good, Lire.” “The motives of any ass may be good, Mr. Sumner, and he may yet be an ass.” “But what is the real trouble with me, anyway?” “Let’s see. You suppressed Mr. Cabell’s “Jurgen,” which some of the more or less intelligent literary experts had pronounced a work of art—thereby doing the author the inestimable ser- vice of advertising a book that would otherwise have remained unknown.” “That looks bad for me, doesn’t it?” “Then you haled before the court another work which the judge and jury couldn’t make head or tail of, and all the while—” “Don’t spare me, Lire “The movies were going on in side streets, and nothing that is essentially practical was being omitted to pervert the minds of the rising generation.” What do ” “But I have to overlook these things, Lire. They are too firmly established.” Now you're defending yourself.” “So I was! Dear me. That would seem to corroborate—” “Not necessarily, Mr. Sumner.” “You may be an ass, or you may not be an ass; far be it from me to say. But here’s a suggestion bearing on this important problem.” “Yes, Lire.” “Why not bray for light? morning, Mr. Sumner.” “Um—Good morning.” T. L. M. Good Dy LIFE LIFE’S Fresh Air Fund Live's Frese Arr Fuxp has been in. opera tion for the past thirty-four years. In’ thay time it has expended $191,130.33 and has given @ fortnight in the country to 41,505 poor se children. id Contributions, which are acknowledged in Lire about three weeks after their receipt, should be made payable to Lire’s Frest Arr Puro, and sent to 598 Madison Avenue, New York City, Previously acknowledged . + $20,404.42 Currier McEwen, Newar N. J ast “In memory of Wilma: Round Top, Bessie Barber, Montclair, N. J Mrs. Charles Jackson,’ West’ Chop, Mass. A é The Night Nurse, Springfield’ Hospital, Port Arthur, Tex......... 10.00 J, H. Foster, East Sandwich, Mass. 5.00 Proceeds of a circus conducted by the Shorelands Circus Assn. at Sound Beach, Conn., the personnel of which consisted of ‘the following children: Eugene Reid, Gerald Fosdick, Charles Fosdick, Bill Vanderbilt, Sanderson Vanderbilt, Barbara Parsons, Jock Vanderbilt’and Valentine MacManus —_ 16.33 Second contribution from the Qu bec Jrs., South Fairlee, V1 5.00 Mrs. Charles Dana Gibson, City. Ses Elena Rionda’ ‘Doty, "So. Mass. 4.00 Hettie Gray Baker, New Yo: y 10.00 “Une Ami,” Worcester, Mas 5.00 Friend... oo . . 2.00 O. H. Bailey, Wat . S00 Valdemar Jordan, } 10.00 Florence B. Ewer, Claremont 5.00 Anonymous, Christianburg, 2.00 F, V., Hendersonville, N. * 10.00 Proceeds of an exhibit of cu held by Peggy Bannerman and John Dunie in their “Museum of Happy Days,” at Blue Poin “In Memory of Larr: In Memory of C. T. Cal. 10.00 Berkeley, Cal Los Angeles, At the Zoo Grandpa, do lions go to heaven? Grandpa: No, Johnny. Johnny: Well, do ministers? Grandpa: Why, of course. Why do you ask? Johnny: Well—suppose a lion eats a minister. Se} Th Re th comicbooks.com