Life, 1924-10-30 · page 12 of 36
Life — October 30, 1924 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page from *Life* magazine contains two pieces of satire about politicians and broken promises. **"The Politician Who Wept"** (main story): A Samaritan helps a newly-elected politician who's devastated because he lost the paper listing promises he made to voters. The satire ridicules politicians for making grandiose campaign pledges they never intend to keep—the politician is actually *relieved* to lose the written record. The Samaritan's offer to help him remember shows the absurdity: the politician promptly suggests forgetting those promises until the *next* election, when he'll invent new ones. **"For Professional Services"** (brief joke): A chiropractor's office boy reports the doctor wants his "back pay"—a pun playing on both unpaid wages and the medical specialty of treating backs. Both pieces mock political dishonesty and self-serving behavior.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
* LIFE = A little later he returned along the same road and found the politician sitting on the curb weeping just as bitterly as before. “What's the matter this time?” asked the Samaritan. The politician looked up and recognized him. “I can’t remember,” he sighed, “what I did with the sheet of pap on which you typed those promises, so I won't be able t keep them after all, and being a politician, that is of cour breaking my heart.” “Dear me,” said the Samaritan, “can nothing be done? “The only thing that I can think of,” replied the po’ tician, “is for me to get along without bothering abc any promises until next election. Then I can make up new set for the good, kind voters. If I do that,” added 1) politician in his simple, artless w “will you vote for n and help me to keep the new promises “Certainly,” said the Samaritan, “and I'll get all friends to vote for you too.” So they shook hands heartily, and the Samaritan offerc his card, but the politician merely asked his name, sayir that he had a remarkably good memory and never forg: the name of any one who could help him; and the Samarita went on his v rejoicing that he had been able to alleviat the sorrow oi a fellow-mortal. Bertram Bloch. For Professional Services FFICE BOY: Dr. Twistem, the chiropractor, is out side, sir. “What does he want “He says he wants his back pay.” “LT DON’T SEE THAT He's So BE OUNG Theodore Roosevelt was repudiated by th In New York, that’s almost as Bedtime Story The Politician Who Wept ONCE upon a time, soon after an clection, a good Samar- itan was walking along a road when he came upon a man sitting on the curb, weeping as though his heart would bre “My good man,” asked the Samaritan, “why do you weep so bitterly “I weep,” replied the man on the curb, “because 1 am a politician who has just been elected to office, and I can't remember what it is I promised the voters I would do for them.” “Dear, dear,” id the Samaritan, “that is unfortunate. You are not a victim of amnesia, I trust? You know your name, your address, your family, and so on?” “Yes, indeed,” said the politician. “I remember every- thing; the people I'm going to give jobs to, the men I'm going to let in on government contracts—everything ex- cept the promises I made to the good people who voted for me.” “You remain right here,” said the Samaritan, “and I'll en- deavor to find out for you what those promises were.” And in a little while the Samaritan returned with the promises the politician had made, all nicely typed on a sheet F cae i ios ai ; of paper. The successful candidate thanked him profusely ae Meal tae Age Leen, En HAD cA and the Samaritan went on his w: LINE OF CROSSES AT THE BOTTOM.” comicbooks.com