Puck — May 1877 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The Political Addled Egg: Which Hewitt and Ottendorfer can't hatch" This May 1877 Puck cartoon satirizes two political figures—**Hewitt** and **Ottendorfer**—attempting unsuccessfully to hatch a cracked egg labeled "CIVIL SERVICE REFORM." The egg, depicted as broken and unviable, represents the failure of civil service reform efforts. Two bearded men (likely politicians or political operators) struggle futilely with this impossible task, while observers watch from above. The "addled" egg metaphor suggests their reform plans are fundamentally broken or corrupt—beyond repair. The cartoon reflects late-19th-century debates over government patronage versus merit-based hiring. It criticizes these particular figures' inability or unwillingness to genuinely implement civil service reforms, despite public pressure for cleaner government. The image mocks their political posturing as mere theater.