Puck — March 12, 1879 — page 2: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "HE OWNS THE TOWN" - Political Cartoon Analysis This Puck cartoon satirizes the Postmaster-General of Canada's attempt to suppress the magazine's circulation in Canada. The accompanying text explains that the Canadian official issued threats against newsdealer stamp licenses to pressure them not to sell Puck. The caricatured figure—depicted as a rotund, disheveled man striding confidently through a street—represents this overreaching government authority claiming dominion over the town and press freedom. The cartoon's title "HE OWNS THE TOWN" is sarcastic, mocking the official's assumption of absolute power. The satire criticizes government censorship and coercion tactics. Puck uses the exaggerated, grotesque visual style typical of 19th-century political cartooning to ridicule bureaucratic tyranny and defend press liberty.