Life, 1925-04-16 · page 6 of 36
Life — April 16, 1925 — page 6: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes American political liberty and radicalism circa the early 20th century. The top cartoon depicts a soldier or authority figure confronting what appears to be an anarchist or radical, illustrating the tension between order and dissent. The text provides mock "definitions" of liberty—progressively absurd interpretations (voting rights, electing fools, fighting for freedom, drinking beer)—to mock how different Americans define the concept. The "Dangerous Radicalism" box quotes Lincoln, sardonically suggesting that radicals cannot "fool all the people all the time," implying contemporary radicals overestimate their persuasive power. The bottom illustration labeled "Daughters of the" (text cut off) shows fashionably dressed women, likely satirizing a specific women's organization, possibly suffragettes or social activists, suggesting Life's skepticism toward their causes.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE RECEPTION COMMITTEE Next Week—"Charlot's Revue” “CHE British are coming! The Brit- h are coming!" screamed Paul Revere as he galloped through Charles- town to Concord. “I'll have to hand it to the British,” remarked an carly American theatrical producer, watching the disappearing hoofs from an upper window; “that's as nifty a press stunt pulled!” as ever I saw HW. H. Some people grow ola gracefully : others attempt the new dances. From an Anarchist’s Note-Book T! = very radical and very young man is generally a simpleton, but the man who remains a conservative after thirty is your best prospect if you're selling gold bricks, Definition: Liberty is the right to forbid yourself to drink beer. Scratch a nberal and you will find a react scratch an anarchist and you will find a humanitarian, who will greet your impertinence with a poke in the eye. nary; Daught Definition: Liberty is the right to vote for a candidate selected by some- body else. When we at last have laws regulat- ing every human activity and limiting every recreation and amusement—then the fun will really begin. Definition: Liberty is the right to kick yourself for having helped to clect a fool or a scoundrel to public office Seismologists who are still trying to explain that earthquake may ultimately find that it was caused by Thomas Jei- ferson’s turning in his grave when a prominent 100-Per-Center publicly re- ferred to himself as a “Jeffersc Democrat.” Definition: Liberty is the right to fight for Freedom. ian The perfect state will be one in which the people will not be permitted to gov- ern themselves autocratically. Definition: Liberty is the right to im prison yourself if you refuse to fight for Freedom, which you would take away from yourself by a Constitutional Amendment the moment you had won it Ward Twichell. Dangerous Radicalism | “You CAN'T FOOL ALL OF TH | PEOPLE ALL OF THE TIME.” | J Abraham Lincoln. ciy\ mae Ay ers of the comicbooks.com