Puck — December 3, 1879 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Political Cartoon Analysis: Puck, December 3, 1879 This satirical cartoon depicts a large dog wearing two hats, standing before buildings labeled "Public School Fund" and "Parochial School." The caption reads: "You may bark! But don't dare to bite!" The cartoon appears to address the **school funding controversy** of the 1870s-1880s between public and parochial (Catholic) education advocates. The dog likely represents either a political faction or the general public debate itself. The warning about barking but not biting suggests that while public debate about education funding was permitted, actual legislative action threatening one school system or the other would not be tolerated—reflecting the heated but ultimately constrained nature of this era's sectarian education dispute.