Life, 1921-10-13 · page 15 of 34
Life — October 13, 1921 — page 15: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes American electoral politics and immigrant voting. "The Mighty Ballot" story depicts three candidates—McSweeney (Democratic), Morris (Republican), and Harrington (independent reform)—competing for votes. The narrative centers on Smith and Jones, whose family backgrounds (one with Irish/South Carolina roots, one with English ancestry via Plymouth Rock) predispose them to vote along ethnic/party lines rather than merit. The satire's target is clear: the ballot is "degenerated to a party tool," and ignorant foreigners voting by ancestry rather than principle corrupt democracy. The lower cartoon mocks urban street violence and chaos, suggesting social disorder accompanies unrestricted suffrage. The content reflects early 1900s nativist anxieties about immigration's impact on democratic institutions.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
October 13 something for the Country and Hu- manity, you must cultivate the religious conception of a life after death, in or- der to get your reward, VICE PRESIDENTS: The sole prerequisites for this kind of President are a retiring disposition and a New England grandfather, whose boots you must learn to wear. Have a baby. Corey Ford. Invocation Come great, benignant Laughter, Deep-throated, wide of girth! Be thou our portent-wafter Of Joy’s divine rebirth: For Truth is error’s kernel, \nd Love is Lord Supernal, And Beauty haunts diurnal The sphinx-face of the earth! Marion P, Guild. Charity Begins \Vire: John, you're forgetting again. You've gone to bed and left the light burning. Joun: I didn’t forget, dear, But a moth was having such a good time I hated to spoil its fun, Speed llowarp: Every time we have a breakdown I get my wife to keep say- ing, “Auto, auto, auto.” Jay: Yes? “I say, old chap, haven't I seen you somewhere?” Ilowarp: And what she says goes. “Quite likely, old bean, I’ve been there.” The Mighty Ballot “YT HOPE McSweeney doesn’t get in,” said Smith. Me- Sweeney was the Democratic candidate. “You bet!” echoed Jones. “But he’s not much worse than Morris.” Morris was the nominee of the Republicans. He was even more crooked than McSweeney, if such a thing were possible. “T'll tell you who ought to be elected,” said Smith, “That's Harrington—the independent candidate, you know. It would be a great thing for the Great Metropolis if Har- rington were elected.” “But he hasn’t a chance with those crooks,” sighed Jones. “Not a chance,” echoed Smith. And when election day came Smith, whose parents were descended from the bluest blood of South Carolina, cast his ballot for McSweeney, the Democrat; and Jones, whose great-grandfather had barked his shins on Plymouth Rock, voted for Morris and Morris’ party; and Harrington, the reform candidate, was hopelessly snowed under. “Certainly is a shame,” said Smith to Jones the day after election. “Certainly is,” sighed Jones. “Politics is pretty rotten in this city. Well, what can you expect when they let igno- rant foreigners vote?” “Women, too,” said Smith. “The ballot is degenerated to a party tool.” o ? fight ’im, Clarence ing he does t . “ spend eel arly Be £ zaranee, Anything be nee ° And they parted with mutual esteem. comicbooks.com