Puck — September 3, 1879 — page 9: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This Puck page contains anti-Catholic satire from the early 20th century. The top cartoon shows "Operation America, According to the Catholic Plan," depicting a figure refusing to accept outside interference ("we'll take our own ideas"). The lower cartoon portrays two figures labeled as "Middle Age Mummers"—likely representing Catholic clergy or the Catholic Church—at what appears to be a cemetery or "Calvary Cemetery." The satire mocks Catholic institutional power and influence in America, suggesting the Church as an archaic, foreign force ("mummers" suggesting outdated performers). This reflects nativist anxieties common in Puck during periods of Catholic immigration to America, portraying Catholicism as incompatible with American independence and modernity.