Life, 1924-03-27 · page 31 of 36
Life — March 27, 1924 — page 31: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page promotes **Elbert Hubbard**, a self-help author and businessman, by featuring testimonials from famous contemporaries (James Whitcomb Riley, Thomas Edison, Luther Burbank, Hudson Maxim, etc.) attesting to his greatness. The page's **satire** appears in the left column: a cynical poem mocking the 1924 presidential election cycle, where numerous candidates compete for the nomination. The opening lines mock public excitement and media circus around political possibilities—the joke being that everyone from various factions claims viability. Below this, a small cartoon labeled "Sic Transit" shows a woman at a door; the caption jokes that wealthy men now weep with disappointment (rather than joy) when disappointed—a swipe at how prosperity has changed even emotional responses. The **central irony**: while the left column cynically questions *who* deserves the presidency, the right aggressively markets Hubbard as unquestionably "great," using celebrity endorsements as proof. This juxtaposition suggests skepticism about how greatness is manufactured through publicity and testimonials.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
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