Puck — October 10, 1877 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Puck Magazine, October 10, 1877 - "By Trick and Device" This political cartoon satirizes the 1876 presidential election dispute. The caricatured figures appear to represent Democratic and Republican leadership engaged in electoral manipulation. The "Coalition House" sign suggests backroom dealing between political factions. The central figure (labeled "Paddy Conoling") drives a pig labeled "Republican Convention" off course—the joke being that Republican leadership is steering their own party vehicle wrongly, likely toward corrupt outcomes. The caption suggests Democrats are cynically exploiting Republican mistakes for political advantage. The cartoon reflects post-Civil War tensions and the contested 1876 Hayes-Tilden election, where disputed electoral votes in Southern states created constitutional crisis. Puck uses animal metaphors and caricature to mock both parties' ethical compromises during this turbulent political period.