A complete issue · 16 pages · 1879
Puck — February 5, 1879
# "Another Tammany Boss" - Puck Magazine, February 5, 1879 This cartoon satirizes **County Clerk H. Gumbleton**, identified as "a member of the Bar," depicting him as corrupt. The central image shows Gumbleton at a desk with law books labeled "SUIT" and "COUNTY CLERK," surrounded by spheres (likely representing bribes or corrupt dealings) exploding around him—suggesting financial impropriety. The accompanying "Oath for Lawyers" is a mock legal document parodying his claimed membership in the Bar Association while allegedly helping hide "the Country" from "getting all the fees and pickings he can grab." The title references **Tammany Hall**, the notoriously corrupt Democratic political machine dominating New York City. The cartoon accuses Gumbleton of being another example of Tammany's systemic corruption within the legal and administrative systems.
# Content Analysis This page is primarily **textual content rather than political cartoons**—it consists of notices, subscription information, jokes ("Puckerings"), verse ("Rhymes of the Day"), and an article titled "Another Tammany Boss" about Gumbleton, apparently a New York political figure associated with Tammany Hall (the Democratic political machine). The article criticizes Gumbleton for abusing his office and making improper payments to county clerks. It references a legal case involving Judge No. 1 and accuses him of corruption—typical Puck satire targeting New York's political establishment. The page also includes a "Cable Message" from Valois, W. Prussia, discussing someone described as "left-handed" and "born so," though context is unclear. Without visible caricatures or cartoons, this represents Puck's **textual satirical journalism** rather than visual political cartooning.
# "Both of 'Em!" - Puck Magazine Satire This 1879 cartoon satirizes the Democratic and Republican parties as identical donkeys wearing different masks labeled "Brady" (likely referring to a contemporary political figure). The satire suggests both parties are hypocritical, engaging in underhanded political tactics like using ciphered telegrams and appealing to voters through deception rather than principle. The text criticizes both parties for their opportunism: Democrats and Republicans are portrayed as equally corrupt, using the same manipulative strategies despite their opposing rhetoric. Puck's point appears to be that voters choosing between the parties face no meaningful choice—both employ equally questionable methods to gain power. This reflects 1879 political disillusionment with party politics generally.
