Life, 1928-07-05 · page 5 of 50
Life — July 5, 1928 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This satirical piece by Will Rogers mocks the 1928 Democratic and Republican conventions' vice-presidential nomination process. The main cartoon shows a candidate literally "knee-deep in applesauce"—drowning in empty political rhetoric. Rogers describes how a largely unknown nominee received telegrams of support from party leaders, only to have another delegate demand his withdrawal in favor of Senator Curtis. The nominee then fabricated a gracious withdrawal speech for publicity purposes. The bottom cartoon depicts the chaotic nomination process as a circus—with figures herding an elephant (the Republican symbol) toward "Summer Quarters," suggesting the political machinery was merely moving candidates around for show rather than serious deliberation. The satire targets the hollowness and cynicism of party politics and manufactured enthusiasm.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Out Candidate Knee-Deep in Applesauce Furnished by the Republican and Democratic Orators Beverly Hills, Calif. Just sitting here thinking about “Bunk,” I want to tell you about it in its most prolific state, and that was at the late two Conventions, 7 I will first start on Kansas City as there is where the first real bunch of pure bun- comb was dished up to insult the intel- ligence of a Hall ful of people. “There is hundreds of instances we could show you of it but will just take for instance the morning of the nomina- tion of Charley Curtis as Vice President. Now they had adjourned the night be- fore about eleven o'clock, after nominat- ing Hoover, and off they went to the rooms at Hotel Muehlebach to nominate a Vice President. Well they had from then till the next morning at eleven, and before they had reached their second drink they had agreed on Curtis, So you know how quick they must have done it. Now we all gathered in the hall the next morning, It’s known that Curtis is to be the man by everyone in the place. Well, then they started nominating speeches for various other Candidates. The Governor of this, and the Ex-Gov- emor of that, some of the audience had to idea who the nominator was talking about till he mentioned his name, and by WILL ROGERS . I feel thatl y, Should withdraw.” then everybody had “to ask everybody else “Who is it?” After they had nominated one fellow, the fellow got up himself and says, “I appreciate the high honor that would come to me as Vice President, but I feel that I must withdraw in favor of Senator Curtis.” He spoke as if he was practically elected, and he was doing a big thing by withdrawing. Now there rad been no demand for him, all the Deligates were already pledged to Curtis by their State leaders, Course some of the Deligates might not have known they were, But they were. Then another nominator got up and spout off for an hour about his Can- idate, no one knew anything about the Candidate, and then when he finished and saw that all the whole pack of Deli- gates were going for Curtis, why he got up and said, “I have just received a tele- gram from my Candidate and he wants me to withdraw his name from the Con- vention, He appreciates the honor, and wants to thank his friends for standing by him for this great office, But he would not think of antering into the race if Charley Curtis wants it.” Now just hold a clinic over such junk as that. The man that put on the nominating speech received no more telegram than | did, How could his Candidate thank all his friends for their staunch support when there had been no support? This one Guy that got up and put on the speech, you couldent very well call Aim a friend. The whole thing was done just for a little. personal publicity, so they can go back home and say, “Why they nom- inated Gov, or Senator Jasbo for the Vice Presidency, but he threw it down.” Now there wasent a man in America comicbooks.com