Life, 1928-11-02 · page 25 of 48
Life — November 2, 1928 — page 25: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page presents **humorous mock endorsements** of two figures as presidential candidates, written by poet Arthur Guiterman. The left panel praises **Clark Hoover** (likely Herbert Hoover, Secretary of Commerce) as a practical, apolitical "moral man" who organized food relief without self-promotion during WWI and the Mississippi floods. The right panel satirizes **Will Rogers**, the famous Oklahoma humorist and entertainer known for chewing gum, performing rope tricks, and making political jokes. The verses mock Rogers' contradictory positions ("Wet to Wets and Dry to Drys"—pandering to both Prohibition supporters and opponents), his vague promises to fix everything, and his claim that "quips are mightier than battleships." The satire's point: Rogers offers empty charm and wisecracks rather than serious policy. The bottom text ("VOTE FOR RUG / VOTE FOR SAM / VOTE FOR HOO / BUT—VOTE!") mocks the absurdity of these non-serious candidates while encouraging actual voting. This appears to be pre-election satire from Life magazine's tradition of political commentary.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Verses by Arthur Guiterman He ted the Belgians, French and Russians, he Germans, Poles and Serbs, I think, ark. [And even got them Things to Drink. {When Mississippi Victims, later, quired our Food Administrator, te organized, conveyed Supplies ind helped and did not advertise. Xo Petty Politics can blind him, * Pe calmly does the Task assigned him— { moral Man, of stalwart Tissue, Who balks at naught (except an Issue). Sands ds. RY AJ Anes peegeanery TAs WILL ROGERS Tue Nemesis of Artful Dodgers Is Guillaume, Bill, or Wilhelm Rogers Whose natal Oklahoma still Persists in hailing him as “Will.” Upon the Scene, dispensing Wisecracks, He came like Sunlight through the Sky's Cracks, And like the Prairie Antelo; He leaped through whirling Loops of ‘ope. He made the Jests that cheer all Classes While masticating Gum in Masses, And now, eschewing not the Pun, He tells us that he Chews to Run. Let Others strive to seem consistent When spoofing Voters, near and distant! Our Man, disdaining Compromise, Is Wet to Wets and Dry to Drys. His Program will not leave unheeded What Anybody says is needed; Both Mart and Mill he'll save from Harm And Lift the Mortgage from the Farm, He promises a Weary Nation A Fearless Bunk-Investigation, And he will furnish proof that Quips Are mightier far than Battleships. VOTE FOR RUG VOTE FORS9M VOTE FOR'HOO BuT OT comicbooks.com