Life, 1928-11-02 · page 16 of 48
Life — November 2, 1928 — page 16: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This Life magazine page addresses the 1928 U.S. presidential election. Henry Suydam's article discusses candidates Rogers, Smith, and Hoover, arguing that Smith (a Roman Catholic) faces religious prejudice that overshadows substantive political debate. The comic strip below satirizes the chaos of election season—showing a "stage manager" overwhelmed as candidates literally run amok through various campaign venues (a store, voting location). The figures become increasingly frenzied, suggesting elections descend into carnival-like disorder rather than serious deliberation. The bottom text emphasizes voting's importance regardless of candidate choice, countering the article's implication that religious bias clouds voters' judgment. Together, the content critiques how personality and prejudice, not policy, dominate American elections.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE POLITICAL FRONT Election Day Larce numbers of citizens, regarding the candidates for President, see two men who are not there. Millions will vote for a man who disap- peared in 1920, millions against a man who vanished in 1910. The Herbert Hoover who won the esteem of the coun- try in war-time is not a candidate. Neither is the Alfred E. Smith who made his début twenty-five years ago under the auspices of Tammany. These non-existent figures are real to great numbers of Americans who will cast their ballots for shadows. The quaint part of this delusion is that Mr. Hoover is ending up where Mr. Smith began—as a politician; while Mr. Smith has come to full size in a field larger than politics—the technique and use of government for definite social and economic ends. The shrinkage of Mr. Hoover during this campaign has been obvious. The London Times has commented on the dwindling frame of Mr. Hoover and the growing stature of Mr. Smith. The domi- nant note of Mr. Hoover's campaign has by Henry Suydam VOTE FOR ROGERS VOTE FOR SMITH VOTE FOR HOOVER oT suT — El been an infinite caution, based upon the assumption that he could not fail to win. His opaque and infrequent recitations from manuscript have been suggestive of an attitude of arrogance and contempt toward the true spirit of representative government. It may have been sound tactics for Mr. Hoover to refuse to debate the issues, just as it was logical for Mr. Smith to force the argument on his oppo- nent in the hope of engaging him in com- bat. Had the Democratic candidate been a Protestant, I imagine Mr. Hoover would have found it expedient to fight. It will soon be over now, and the country can come to a rough judgment on the effect of religion in our politics. The last four months have not been amusing. The unhappiest parts of Mr. Hoover's campaign are those squadrons, not of his own recruiting, that are marching behind him. The ghosts of Prohibitionists, preachers and prejudice-mongers will parade down the pages of our histories in is path. I do not wonder that so sensitive a person should avert his face and lift his hand to wave them thence. The event of next Tuesday will signal- ize something more than the election of the thirty-first President of the United States and the ensuing distribution of patronage. If Governor Smith wins, the religious issue disappears, or at least the country will have a demonstration of the conduct of a Roman Catholic as Chief Executive of this Republic. If Mr. Hoover is elected, the problem of religious dis qualification remains. I do not accept as inevitable the prospect of Mr. Smith's defeat. You can do wonders with a paper demonstration of his strength, although the prevailing opinion is bearish. The Governor is a man who improves on acquaintance; he has tried, within the inescapable limitations of politics, to expose his full mind to pub lic examination. Whether he has caught the imagination of his fellow-citizens wil soon be evident. That is his main chance. Tt would be fun to predict the outcome, but there is no nourishment in it—not this year. Now go and vote. As a disenfran- chised citizen of the District of Columbia, whose government bids him not to bother about Presidents, I wish you all luck oa Election Day. THE NEW CHILD'S GARDEN OF VERSES Looking Forward Wuen I am grown to man’s estate I shall be vey rich and great; I'll give up all games juvenile To work for “Tex” or C. C. Pyle. Demonstration of The SRYMIE comicbooks.com wW