Puck — October 29, 1879 — page 9: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical cartoon depicts anti-suffrage sentiment, imagining a dystopian future if women gained voting rights. The central figure appears to be a portly politician lounging while women (shown as silhouettes) actively campaign and conduct political business around him—inverting traditional gender roles to comic effect. The bottom panel labeled "After Election" shows two grotesque male faces labeled "KELLY" and "KORNELL" (likely political figures), representing "two scratched faces that Puck would like to see"—suggesting these politicians would be defeated under female suffrage. The overall message mocks women's political involvement as chaotic and emasculating, a common anti-suffrage trope from the early 20th century. Puck uses exaggeration and ridicule to argue against women's voting rights, though modern readers would recognize this as sexist propaganda rather than humor.