Life, 1924-08-07 · page 13 of 36
Life — August 7, 1924 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The page contains three distinct satirical pieces: 1. **"Hell-O!"** (top left): A humorous letter correcting a friend's grammar about "winning" arguments, using a personal anecdote about telephone operators. 2. **"Tweedledum and Tweedledee"** (center): A political poem comparing two Democratic figures (the names reference Carroll's characters). The verse mocks their indistinguishable positions on Republican issues and the Klan, suggesting both are equally ineffective or problematic. The illustration shows two rotund, identical figures—emphasizing their interchangeability and lack of distinction. 3. **"These Americans"** and **"Emulative"** (bottom): Brief satirical observations about American pretension and social climbing. The Tweedledum/Tweedledee piece appears to be the main political content, criticizing Democratic leadership for lacking clear differentiation or effective opposition to Republican policies during the 1920s-era Klan controversy.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
> LIFE - Hell-O! FRIEND of mine was saying the other day that the famous slogan, “The voice with the smile wi is all \ He said that the verb “to win” is transitive and most have an object; it must win something, yet here it doesn't. Well, if I do say it myself, I know something about we used to have them in the garden, and I remember idmother made tea out of them. Anyhow, I decided nd out for myself just what it was that the v.w.t.s. won. ving to the phone I lifted the receiver from the hook spraking with the lips close to the mouthpiece, said loud, firm voice, “South Orange, three-six-two, party The thus rudely awakened girl at the other end of wire retaliated with, “South Orange, thre ty R2 Mrdinarily I should have followed the general standards ractice of telephoners and replied, “You heard me!” but s time I was all smiles, “Yes, pl " I cooed. Thank you,” answered my unknown friend. Not at all,” I said. You're v kind,” she assured me. Please don’t mention it,” I urged. Aren't you nice?” she wanted to know. This was com- it a bit thick, but I determined to stick it out. It's a real pleasure,” I weakly murmured. The pleasure’s all mine,” she announced, “but I'm so ry. Peekskill thirteen-thirtcen-thirteen is busy The error in the slogan is not the use of a transitive verb thout an object; it’s the wrong verb entirely! A.C. M. verbs; ix-two, Azoy, Jr. L YOUR “WHAT GoOD'LL 1T DO YA? WE DON'T TAKE OFFEN YOU, ANYWway.” oo dledec Tweedledum's a Democrat, Tweedledee’s Republican, No one knows where either’s at In his dealings with the Klan, One says “What” and one says “Why,” One says “Hum” and one says “Ho,” One is wet and one is dry- Which is which, we do not know. Drearily they babble on While we stagger with fatigue; Onc is pro and one is con— For, and then against, the League. veedledum and Tweedle 00k alike to you and These Americans The Chicagoan H would make a mental note that the country was be- coming intelligent at last if the Harvard-Yale football game and the presidential inauguration were transferred to the Grant Park Stadium. He doesn’t care who makes the nation’s laws if he can make the Line in the Tribune. His idea of a rite is reading the bulldog edition of the Daily News over his luncheon ia Marshall He has a naive faith which leads him to believe that the railroad terminals will be electrified and that he will one day ride in a subway. He can explain the difference between a Wilson Avenue address and one on Sheridan Road. He knows that big building on Michigan Boulevard is the Art Institute. McC. H, Emulative AN can always improve upon Nature; lightning never strikes twice in the same place, but any union that calls itself a union can keep striking in the same place until the place disappears. ROCER: These are home-grown berries, ma’am. Brive: But haven't you any of the hothouse kind? comicbooks.com