Life, 1923-10-04 · page 12 of 44
Life — October 4, 1923 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes the Ku Klux Klan's establishment of a college in Indiana. The article "O, K Kan U C?" mocks the Klan's attempt to control American education by purchasing a college, presenting this as another "forward step" in their movement for supremacy. The text argues that standardizing language to a "K-ness" alphabet represents intellectual suppression disguised as education. The bottom cartoon shows two figures lounging near train tracks as a car honks approaching them, with the caption "Let 'em honk—don't hurry—you know darn well they don't dare run over us." This appears to reference the Klan's perceived power and immunity from consequences, satirizing their sense of untouchable authority in American society.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“DON’T LET GO, DEAREST. SOMETHING TELLS ME THE TRAIN HAS STARTED.” O, K Kan U C? 'HE Klan has bought a College in Indiana. Which, of course, will become a Kollege! Superficial students of the situation see in this purchase an attempt to get control of American education. Deeper students, however, rea that this is but another and more vio- lent Ku Klux assault upon the alpha- bet; another forward step in the movement to establish the supremacy of the K’s over the C’s. And now that the stronghold of the alphabet— the educational institution — is cap- tured, the rest of the Klansmen’s work will be simple. Shortly all the hard C’s will give place to the gaunt K’s—even the Kos- mos shall Kapitulate. H and X are but varieties of K; I and L are incipient K's; J is a kind of I; Q is a tonal outgrowth of K; O is an incipient Q; R is a partially closed K; P is a dismembered R; B is a fully closed K——. But why pursue the investigation farther, when we see so clearly whither it tends? All letters being K therefore, once they have been reduced to their simple K-ness by the Klux, all language will be reduced to a repetition of the sam sound, But language is the medium of ex pression of opinion. And if language is always the sam: there can be no difference of opinion But if all agree in opinion, ther can be no war or quarrels or strif of any sort. Do you see, then, what the purpos of the benevolent-hearted Klansmce really is? A One-Letter Alphabet—A Onc Minded World— Make the World Safe for ki Kluckracy! Cyril B. Egan. Strikes —the bowler’s deligh: ; —the pitcher’s dream; —the batter’s nightmare ; —the rolling pin’s duty; —the miner’s habit. “LET "EM HONK—DON’T HURRY—YOU KNOW DARN WELL THEY DON’T DARE RUN OVER US.” comicbooks.com