Life, 1926-07-01 · page 13 of 40
Life — July 1, 1926 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The bottom illustration depicts a police officer confronting a man in a hat, labeled "Scar-Face" Mike (the bootlegger). During Prohibition, bootleggers illegally manufactured and sold alcohol. The joke plays on the dynamic: Mike pays Officer Kelly excessive "protection money" to ignore his illegal activities, then complains to headquarters about being overcharged. The caption has Kelly respond sarcastically that Mike is paying too much *for protection*—implying corruption is so rampant that even criminals expect official extortion as standard practice. This satirizes widespread police corruption during Prohibition, when officers routinely accepted bribes to overlook illegal alcohol production and distribution.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Life " SUST BETWEEN US GIRLE Press Clippings [[ the press js the palladium of our liberties, the tab- Joids are the temples of our license. wee The headlines may be yellow, but the headliners should be blonde. * The way of aman with a * 1 is first-page stuff. Stories of divorce cases are best told by a “special co- respondent.” owe A gentleman k tell that to a ma and doesn’t tell—but you can’t ging editor. ee ® Riotous living increases both blood pressure and circu- lation. ee « A happy family makes a lovely picture, but not so effective a one as the chorus girl who broke it up. 2 * After all, nobody has yet succeeded in libeling the human race. James Kevin McGuinness. THE duties of a President of the United States, we gather from the public prints, arc to announce that the time is not yet ripe for discussion and to shake hands with boy marbles champions. “Scar-Face” Mike (the bootlegger): 1’'m payin’ YOU TOO MUCH FER PROTECTION, KELLY. Kelly the Cop: TAKE YER COMPLAINTS TO HEAD- QUARTERS—THEY’RE GETTIN’ IT! | “[THINK it’s perfectly AWFUL the way everybody you know is sort of giving up RELIGION and only the LOWER classes keep going to CHURCH—I mean I ACTUALLY do, don’t you? Because 1 HONESTLY think RELIGION is NECESSARY somchow because I mean it’s a sort of DISCIPLINE for a girl when it makes her get up at ten o'clock to go to CHURCH— Don’t you REALLY think so? Of course I think most sermons are simply OBNOXIOUS because they're too LONG or something but I HONESTLY think you sort of GET something out of going to church, just the same —I mean I think it sort of INSPIR you with sort of NOBLE thoughts and everything and I mean KNEELING and getting UP every minute is really CORKING exercise for a girl and trying to remember those RESPONSES is sort of FUN, I think—I mean I HONESTLY do. Heavens, no, my dear—I haven't been to church this entire YEAR but neither has any- body else I know and I mean I ACTUALLY think it’s perfectly DISGUSTING the way everybody you KNOW is sort of giving up religion.” Lloyd Mayer. Voters Wanted! HY be an unpaid voter all your life, when you can live in Republican Pennsylvania and sell your votes at from $10 to $25? Why not live in luxury by simply marking ballots? You can vote in your spare time! No experience needed! Do you envy other men their pay envelopes? Do you realize that literally millions of dollars are being dis- tributed annually among the voters of the Keystone State? Why shouldn’t you get your share? If you have vision, foresight, initiative, will power and character, why don’t YOU come to Philadelp’ the shrine of American Liberty, and one of Penns vania’s largest and best-paying election districts? Be an American! Come and take the money which is waiting for men like YOU. Come to Pennsylvania and support the Republican Party, and the Republican Party will support you! C. P. For a Song LEADER (of the Police Glee Club): What'll we sing in honor of the Prince? Srconp Tenor: How about “Sweden Low"? comicbooks.com