Life — October 11, 1923 — page 17: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This political cartoon depicts a dentist extracting a problematic tooth labeled "RAILROAD RATE" while another tooth labeled "OKLAHOMA" waits in the background. The dentist wears a jacket marked "GOV. HACTION" (likely "Gov. HACTION" or similar), suggesting a government official or governor addressing railroad regulation issues. The satire appears to address early 20th-century railroad rate controversies and regulatory disputes. The "ulcerated tooth" metaphor suggests railroad rates were viewed as a painful, infected problem requiring extraction. Oklahoma's appearance likely references that state's specific railroad grievances or regulatory concerns. The cartoon advocates for government intervention to remove what reformers considered exploitative railroad practices—a common Progressive Era theme.