Life, 1924-10-30 · page 6 of 36
Life — October 30, 1924 — page 6: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The page contains three distinct satirical items: **"Penalized Ten Yards for Holding"** (top cartoon): A man and woman on a bed; the man says he sat over her to rest, implying physical intimacy. The caption suggests legal/social penalties for improper conduct, likely commentary on evolving morality standards. **"Unrecorded Retorts"**: Brief humorous anecdotes about witty comebacks, including a Shakespeare reference and a joke about King Louis XV allegedly denying rain—political humor about authority figures. **"The Voice of the People is the Voice of God"** (bottom): Shows a figure at voting booths with multiple compartments displaying different activities/vices below. This satirizes the gap between democratic ideals and actual voter behavior, suggesting the public's voice reflects corruption rather than virtue. The "VOT" sign (partially visible) confirms voting as the target.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
LIFE - Ballade of Transformation “Smoke a HELL MARIA—THE DAWES PIPE.” —Placard in @ Philadelphia tobacconist’s window. I WAS born with a yellow streak, I was the coward of South Passaic. Bums and bullies would twist my beak, I could have jumped in the nearest lake. But now I'm tough as a minute steak, Now I'm rough as a yard of tripe, As hard as a biscuit of bridal make: I'm smoking a Hell Maria Pipe. ‘YOU SIT OVER I was cursed with a beardless cheek, 1 was known as a sofa snake, I had practic’lly no physique And my diet was mostly cake. Now, however, my name is jake; I'm considered the virile type, Due, I'll grant, to a lucky break: I'm smoking a Hell Maria Pipe. Piping hot flow the words I speak ~ While my listeners cringe and quake. sth Dempscy’s nose would I gladly tweak PENALIZED TEN YARDS FOR HOLDING Just for wholesome amusement’s sake. Dead men litter my ruthless wake; Unrecorded Retorts Faded now is the saffron’ stripe— “WHO steals my purse steals trash,” lamented Will This no fatuous yarn nor fake: Shakespeare to a few boon companions over his fifth I'm smoking a Hell Maria Pipe. tankard of ale in the Mermaid. “Serves you right,” commented that one of the company L'Envoi whose turn it was to pay for the round. “You ought to write Prince, we're birds of a you-know. Shake! something like ‘Abie’s Irish Rose.’” if . a © Inspiration from you I swipe. “After me the Deluge!” exclaimed Louis the Fifteenth. No more back-talk now I'll take— “It ain't gonna rain no mo’!” declared the court jester, I'm smoking a Hell Maria Pipe. dryly. N. D. Plume “THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE 1S THE VOICE OF Gop” comicbooks.com