Life, 1928-12-14 · page 45 of 48
Life — December 14, 1928 — page 45: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains dark satire about American family violence, likely responding to Prohibition-era gang warfare and organized crime. **The Main Cartoon:** "A Modest Game" presents a mock-serious legal document establishing "rules" for family feuds—permitted methods include beating, stabbing, and shooting, but prohibit hanging, decapitation, and boiling in oil. It satirizes the absurdity of violent crime by treating it as a regulated sport needing referee authority. The joke targets how American society had seemingly normalized organized violence during Prohibition. **The Subtext:** By presenting a father cheerfully signing such a "peace agreement," Life mocks the notion that criminals could be reasoned with or regulated. The phrase "Now we can go to work in peace" darkly suggests family violence as normal business. **Additional Content:** The page also includes a brief political joke about Republican oil prospectors and advertisements for Daniel Hays Gloves and Eveready Flashlights—standard commercial fare of the era. The satire's bite depends on readers recognizing contemporary gang violence as the absurd reality being parodied.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
ink on one side of the paper only. Stamp for reply must be enclosed. . 2. Any family starting a fight with an- other family shall be considered the ag- gressor. Breaking down a family's front door and setting fire to the house shall be considered an act of aggression, unless it was done in self-defense. 3. A family desiring to kill members of another family may do so only by the following methods: Beating, stabbing, shooting, or poisoning. Any person killed by hanging, decapitation, boiling in oil or tickling to death at the hands of a neighbor is entitled to recover damages. 4. Knives employed in settling family differences shall have blades not over twelve inches long, of stainless steel, to avoid danger of Fockjaw, and provided with ebonite handles. The use of pearl handles shall be considered ostentatious. 5. Brass knuckles may be worn on one hand only. 6. Every member of every family shall be permitted to carry the following fire- arms for emergency use, in the following quantities only: Revolvers, .22 caliber, 1 only; same, .32 caliber, not more than 2; 33 caliber, not more than 3; same, .45 caliber, not more than 6, Automatics, no limitation as to number, but they must be union-made. Shotguns may be carried up to the number of 3, but they must not be discharged while standing on the head or looking into a mirror, This re- striction shall not apply to machine-guns, for who would be mean enough to use a machine-gun? 7. The use of arquebuses, bombards, catapults, and muzzle-loading blunder- busses is positively prohibited. 8. Sling shots, spears, and bows and arrows are strictly prohibited. | 9. Throwing stones or green apples | is absolutely prohibited. to. This agreement is utterly, perma- nently, and unconditionally binding upon all the signers thereof. Any family violat- ing it will be subjected to considerable enticism. eee We all cheered and shook hands. Then Dad dipped his pen in the ink and signed his name. “There!” he said. “Now we can go to work in peace.” A MODEST GAME Four authorities on bridge are about to have a game. Designating them accord- ing to the blurbs on the books they have wnitten, we find that as partners they are grouped as follows: Eminent Greatest PREMIER Foremost Bill Sykes. (Teacher (during a class on mining): Now, if I went West and leased land and §et oil on it, what would I be? Stuvent: A Republican! Stitcheswill not ravel even thauzd ts cut or broken F.. Christmas give him a glove that’s a little away from the usual—yet one he can wear with comfort and satisfaction. The “Saratoga Flair” is a pull-on glove —dquite the smartest thing for street or driving. Made of strong, flexible calfskin with a side vent which makes it easy to slip on and off. Hand cut, with hand-sewn back and hem—and washable! Daniel Hays Gloves Among those presents RIGHT up in the front rank of things to give for Christ- mas put Eveready Flash- lights. Not only because that’s one of the easiest and most successful ways out of the Christmas-gift dilemma, but because it’s the sensible thing to do. _ Everybody, from six to sixty, wants a genuine Ever- eady. Not just “a flashlight,” but a genuine Eveready. Yes, it’s important to insist on this point. Genuine Ever- eadys have ALL the newest and best features. There are models and types for every possible purpose. _ This year, brighten the lives of all to whom you give. Start them right with the flashlight habit, that national movement to save skinned shins, banged heads and tipped clothes. Give them the world’s best portable light-maker—a genuine Ever- eady Flashlight. A perfect gift for Bridge Players z f great = % convenience’ | entirely new bridge table attachment clamps easily, quickly, and farng » the table corner, impossible to spill ashes or liquids on the table-top, Never before has a similar enamel on steel and four beantiful green glass tum~ blere and two aah trays to har. priced at - You want a pair of TRAY-RAK for each of your bridge tables — and your friends will web come them as Christmas gifts. Buy TRAY-RAK from your dealer or order direct from manufacturer Leading department stores, furniture stores and gift shops everywhere can supply yoo, If your dealer's supply is ex: Baosted, write us, We'll ship any number of eet. 0. D. THE COLLIS COMPANY | 208 Lincoln Highway Clinton, lowa eens comicbooks.com