Life — September 18, 1924 — page 17: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical cartoon depicts a man labeled "BUSINESS" being chased or distracted by a figure holding "VOTING" while being pursued by a bear labeled "CRITICISM." The scattered footprints and broken fence suggest chaos and misdirection. The title "The Red Herring" is key: it's a metaphor for a misleading distraction. The cartoon appears to critique how business interests use voting or democratic processes as a distraction from legitimate criticism of their practices. The bear representing "criticism" pursues, while business is being led away by "voting"—suggesting that voting is being employed as a false trail to divert attention from actual accountability. The overall message critiques political manipulation of democratic participation.