Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1910-01-06

A picture, it has +
often tells story more Iorcefully, ana
makes a more lasting impression, than
volumes of words even though Written
by a master hand. The cartoonist,
with his clever strokes at the vital
point of an issue. frequently does
more to concentrate public attention
upon it than host of orators with
their prolix explanations or their
fiery denunciations. When Bismarck
left the Chancellorship of Germany the
famous cartoon, Dropping the Pilot
is said to have created more concern
throughout the Empire than all the
written articles that dealt with the DO
litical situation. So in our American
life the cartoonist has frequently Civ
en- political leader definite position,
disgraceful or otherwise, by means of
a single clever portraiture. Blaine as
the tattooed man will never be forgot
ten by the generation that knew him.
The power of the cartoonist is rec
ognized by all public men Such pa
pers as Puck and Judge, representing
the opposing schools of political
thought, have a tremendous influence
on public opinion solely through the
medium of their cartoonists. Hence it
is a matter of some moment when
Puck announces an entire change of
policy in it's cartoons dealing with
monopoly, trusts and combines. Here
tofore such cartoons have been more
or less of a nature to provoke a laugh
rather than to stir the anger of the
public against such iniquities. Real
izing this, Puck has directed that here
after the efforts of it's cartoonists he
directed toward making such organi-
cations that bear heavily upon the
people and threaten the vitality of the
county as odious as possible.
There has been, Puck says, alto
getner too much laughing in this
country at something which is grim
and serious, and it continues:
Our much Wanted American sense
of humor enables us to laugh with bub-
bling abandon at things which aren't
funny; but our sense of common sense
ought to rout it, we think, when the
thing to excite our mirth is about as
funny as an empty stomach or black
jack in action. When the boosted cost
of living is brought home to us in in
diyidual instances; when those who
deal in the things we eat, wear, or
otherwise domestically use combine In
some particularly successful effort to
squeeze us, we look up for moment
from our whirring grindstones and
whine to our neighbors: ''Ain't it a
shame the way things are going up?"
But the next morning and the next,
when we open our papers to the fat,
cross-eyed monstrosity with the big
mouth and the little hat, who grins
as no brainless idiot was ever crazy
enough to grin-we laugh at "the
trusts"
In referring to the new and changed
attitude of Puck, and in describing a
recent caricature in Puck, the Indian
apolis News says:
trusts is neither pretty nor pleasant,
but one has a fear that it comes near
er representing the real truth of the
situation than the old style. For it's
center page cartoon this week Puck
has drawn its picture of the trusts
from that well known modern German
sculpture of an enormous orang-ou-
tang holding the helpless, struggling
figure of woman in its right arm,
while it leans forward in a defiant at
titude. In Puck's picture the head of
the ape is that of an old, bald-headed
man, with hooked nose and protruding
under jaw. In the left hand is large
gold coin and the left foot rests on the
overturned dome of the capitol Under
the picture is the line Monopoly,
Why Not Know Him for What he
Really Is: A Brute With Brains"
The severity of the cartoon is almost
shocking, but is it, after all, too Sc
we're? At least it makes one pause,
and prevents condemnation without
thought A little reflection will con-
vince us that while we have been
laughing at the pictures of the trusts
which the cartoonists have been
drawing, we have not really been
laughing dL Inc tfuSIS. DIT from IL.
Our expression to the trusts them
selves has been far from risible, and
latterly out of the hum of the indus
try that has marked our renewed
prosperity has come a sound that is
not wholly unlike muttered curses.
There are doubtless a good many peo-
pie who will agree with Puck that it
is high time we should have done with
OF c,iT,cr Il
turn our attention to the rescue of
our rights from monster before they
have been killed.