Puck — June 19, 1878 — page 9: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This 1876 political satire depicts **Commerce** (the large female figure on left, labeled with scales holding "GOLD" and "GREENBACKS") kicking away smaller male figures representing the interests of ordinary citizens. The rising sun marked "1876" suggests a new era or fresh start. The cartoon criticizes how **commercial interests prioritize profit over the common good**. The figures being kicked appear to represent workers or the general public being trampled by big business. The caption's parenthetical remark ("If he wants to use it again we will return it") sarcastically suggests Commerce merely borrows the country temporarily for its own purposes. This reflects Gilded Age anxieties about **unchecked corporate power** dominating American politics and society.