Life, 1883-01-25 · page 9 of 16
Life — January 25, 1883 — page 9: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Political Cartoon Analysis This cartoon satirizes political corruption in early 20th-century America. The large anaconda represents political corruption or a criminal enterprise controlling meals (resources/power). Two caricatured figures in top hats observe from a window—likely political bosses or corrupt officials. The caption attributes the joke to "the Koran (revised version)" and quotes: "There is no Boss but Kelly, and Edson is his Mayor." This mocks the relationship between a political boss (appears to reference someone named Kelly) and a mayor (Edson), suggesting the mayor is merely a puppet of the real power broker. The small animals below (frog, rabbit) may represent ordinary citizens or victims of this corrupt system. The satire criticizes how hidden power structures control public affairs.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
comicbooks.com a re < a. 2% ws HE a = a § ZX ge S85 § <e [<3] 7 fb “THERE IS NO Boss BuT KEtty, anp Epson ts HIS Mayor.” deny |