Life, 1928-11-09 · page 7 of 52
Life — November 9, 1928 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This Life magazine page satirizes Will Rogers' 1928 presidential election. LIFE sent Rogers a telegram asking whether he'd demand a recount, given his unexpectedly large "silent vote," or simply ignore irregularities. Rogers' reply is self-deprecating humor: he acknowledges receiving write-in votes but dismisses them as insignificant compared to the actual winner. He mocks both major parties for making him attractive campaign offers post-election, claiming they promised him prominent positions if he'd campaign for them. The cartoon caricature (center) appears to show Rogers in exaggerated form, emphasizing his folksy persona. Rogers' central point: **he made only one campaign promise—to resign if elected—and he's keeping it by remaining a private citizen rather than a politician.** The satire plays on Rogers' famous anti-establishment, humorous commentary on American politics and politicians.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Our Candidate Makes Good His Only Promise Fottowine is a copy of the telegram that was sent to Will Rogers at 1:28 a. M., after Election Day: Dear Will: All you know is what you read in the papers, so you probably haven't heard that you were elected President by the Great Silent Vote of this nation. No one except us knew that this vote existed—even the voters themselves were ignorant of it; no one except us knew that it went unanimously for you. The newspapers may say that the other candidates piled up millions of votes, but don’t let that worry you. You're in. Please advise us at once what we're to do about this, Shall we expose the sharp practices at the polls, whereby you were overwhelmed in the paper vote? Shall we demand a recount? “r shall we just forget about the whole thing? Regards to Mrs. Rogers. LIFE. __] WILL ROGERS’ REPLY: Dear Lire: Yes it was the silent vote that dected me, and the Loud vote that kept cur other opponent out. But I promised faithfully when this ampaign got going that if elected | would resign, And that’s the only cam- paign promise I'm going to stick to. Ido want to thank the Silent vote for not voting, and getting mixed up in any way with this Dog fight that we have jest had. They talk about a man not being a good Citizen if he don’t vote. If everybody dident vote then none of them could get elected and that would be the end of politics, and we would just f° out and hire some good man to run the country the same as we should now. It has been brought very forceably to ny notice that they would not let my tame be placed on the ticket, and people could not make a mark after it. Of course I got a few votes from the cxes'who could write the name in, But ny big vote was supposed to come from those who couldent write. Thave found them to be the best Citi- zns in America, Give me the friendship tod loyalty of the man that can’t read or write, the minute a Guy can read or write he starts thinking he is “Slick” and you have to watch him. Tam not saying yet what I will do in 1932, But it looks like we ought to com- bine the Anti-Bunks with the Democrats. I may stay with this publication, Lire, or I may jump to the Congressional Record. They have made me some very at- tractive offers to handle my next Cam- paign, They claim they can give me plenty of space, as the election is over, the Members won't have to start electioncer- ing in the Senate and House for a couple of years. They have even offered to give me Heflin’s space in the Record, as there seems to be a lot of the readers complain- ing that Tom is getting to repeat himself. He's evidently neglected to provide him- self with new gags, and you can’t laugh at that one about the Pope in the White House for ever. Both the other Parties are paying off with nothing but Thanks, So I am not going to send any more thanks to my supporters, For there is enough people in this Country now trying to live on Thanks, In fact that’s about all the Farm- ers will have to live on for the next four years. We went into this campaign to drive the Bunk out of politics, But our experi- ment while noble in motive was a failure. I was the onely Candidate that ever promised to resign, and I guess I’m the onely Candidate that ever made good that or any other promise. Well anyway, here is Goodbye and Good Luck from the onely cheerful Loser in the race, Yours, Witt. (Nore to Anti-Bunk Mempers:—We should like to hear from all those who actually voted for Will Rogers on Tues- day. We're going to make a serious effort to guarantee that the Spirit of the Anti- Bunk Party shall not perish from this earth, and we want to have the continued support of those who were in sympathy with the Rogers campaign.) comicbooks.com