Life, 1928-07-26 · page 24 of 36
Life — July 26, 1928 — page 24: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This cartoon satirizes parental discipline through an exaggerated domestic scene. A parent threatens to drain a child's bathwater as punishment for dawdling, while the child protests this is the "meanest trick" a parent can employ. The caption argues the real problem is parental impatience: children naturally want to stay in baths, but only "violent" parents resort to yanking the stopper. The satire works through absurdist escalation—treating bath-draining as a disproportionate parental weapon. It gently mocks both excessive parental force and children's resistance to leaving comfortable situations. The page also contains political commentary by Henry Suydam criticizing President Hoover's use of spokespersons and intermediaries rather than speaking directly to the press, contrasting this unfavorably with Alfred E. Smith's approach. Suydam argues this undermines democratic principles of direct public discourse.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
{ SINCE YOU WONT HURRY, | (M PULLING THE PLUG | AND LETTING YOUR, WATER OUT » THATS THE MEANEST- TRICK A PARENT CAN PULL ON A CHILD A CHILD OUGHTNT TO STAY’ IN A BATH TUB ALL DAY, BUT ITS A MIGHTY VIOLENT PARENT WHO YANKS THE STOPPER OUT” Batn Termination sy Brute Force 1 editorial guidance.” This may be high- at class and dignified, but it suggests t Mr. Hoover is in a panic, doubtful of his own judgment, determined to play safe. . . . I am disappointed and for a selfish reason. I have been forced to accept the ridiculous and unnecessary system under which the President evades re- SILINEE Ws sponsibility for his own statements to our Press through the interposition of mythical “‘spokes- men,” “visitors” and “friends.” I had imagined that Mr. Hoover would not utilize any such ex- pedient, which is open to serious objection both from the viewpoint of newspapers and from the more important viewpoint of sound pub- lic policy. To judge from his performance thus far, Mr. Hoover will do nothing to change this system, if elected. lane I intend to watch Alfred E. Smith very carefully. The moment he begins to lock doors and to answer questions through a spokesman, I shall abandon both regular candidates and be prepared to vote the straight Rogers ticket. “Ghost” writers for athletes, motion picture stars and | aviators are perhaps permissible, but can- didates for President of the United States should speak their own pieces. What with radio and official press representatives and other devices to protect candidates from , public scrutiny, it will become possible for a man to retire to his bedroom on being nominated and not to emerge again until after Election. The frank, free and vigorous discussion of issues, which is part of the democratic tradition, will soon be left to candidates for Alderman, Sheriff and County Dogcatcher.- Henry Suydam. Teacher: Why did Joshua command the sun to stand still? Puri: For daylight saving. —Life Lines— | A MacHINE confiscated in Ohio is said to have the virtue of aging raw liquor tn years in a night. Much of the liquor now , |in circulation has the same effect on the customer. LL Bexievinc it has a bad effect on the youth of the land, Mussolini has barred the word “pessimism” from the Fascist dictionary. Pa, what's an optimist? JL Percy Graincer, the pianist, is to be married in the Hollywood Bowl. This is a structure capable of holding 20,00 guests, in which case the bride had better | take along a spare lipstick. | Most of the embattled farmers ‘|}who marched on Kansas City and Houston with pleas for agrarian relief, have by now returned to their respective | law offices. ! LL | A Timi tourist, planning to drive | West through Ohio, would like to be advised which day it is that Remus can be insane on. 5 Pity the poor Chinaman: he never knows where his next liberator is coming | from. iL “Bot fighters,” says Mr. Grant- land Rice, of a pair of heavyweights, “can | ‘take it.’ And, no doubt, they can alo count it. “It’s only three o'clock, and I'm fed up with this place already.” “Ya-as. One hardly knows what to do with one’s self until bedtime.” comicbooks.com