Puck — October 30, 1878 — page 3: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis of Puck Page 3 This page contains political guidance rather than cartoons. "Cut This Out" provides voting instructions for the Democratic ticket, listing candidates for various offices including Chief Grafter (John Kelly), Gatherer of Uncontested Strikes (Mick Mulloney), and Treasurer of Tammany (Mister Kelly). "Puck's Last Words to Voters" mocks machine politics and electoral corruption. The satire targets widespread practices: split tickets, voter fraud, bribery (Confederate bonds), and ballot-box stuffing. It specifically attacks Tammany Hall's control of New York politics and warns against Jack Kelly's Irish-Indian political machine. The piece advocates early, honest voting while warning voters about opposition machinations. The tone is cynical about electoral integrity, suggesting corruption was so normalized that satirizing it required direct instruction rather than visual metaphor.