Puck — April 30, 1879 — page 16: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This appears to be a Puck magazine satirical cartoon about "Expensive Blooming in Congress." The image shows two large, bloated figures labeled "Democratic Bellows" on the left side, depicted as balloons or inflated forms. On the right are two similarly exaggerated, rotund figures, suggesting politicians or congressional members whose bellies have swollen—likely satirizing wasteful government spending or corruption. The cartoon critiques congressional extravagance during what appears to be a Democratic administration. The "bellows" metaphor suggests these politicians are inflating themselves (getting rich) while in office. The visual exaggeration of their physical forms represents moral and financial excess. This reflects late 19th/early 20th-century popular criticism of politicians benefiting personally from their positions while neglecting constituents.