Puck — September 18, 1878 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Political Cartoon Analysis: Puck, September 18, 1878 This Puck cover satirizes the 1878 Democratic National Convention in Massachusetts. The central figure appears to be a grotesque caricature wearing a skull-marked chest piece labeled "K.K.K." (Ku Klux Klan), representing Democratic association with white supremacist violence. The figure holds inflammatory materials and stands amid convention imagery showing partisan conflict. The satire criticizes Democrats for their historical ties to racial violence and opposition to Republican Reconstruction policies protecting Black rights. The "make-up" caption suggests the Democrats are masking their true nature. This reflects Republican campaign messaging during the 1878 midterm elections, portraying Democrats as the party of violent racism and sectional division. The crude caricature style and exaggeration were standard for period political attack journalism.