The Wasp — 1896 — page 782: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon depicts two figures in formal dress having a conversation. The caption reads: "Deacon Swiggel—I hope you avoid the wine-cup in these days, Mr. Toots. Mr. Toots—Deacon Hitcheler! Deacon, An occasional schoonner of lager is my limit till times improve." The satire targets hypocrisy among the respectable classes. A "deacon" (church official) lectures another man about avoiding alcohol, yet the man's candid response—admitting he drinks beer regularly—mocks the deacon's moral authority. The joke is that the deacon asks the question expecting piety but gets honest admission instead. The title "More Candid Than Contrite" emphasizes the subject refuses to pretend false repentance, exposing the gap between public moral standards and private behavior among the supposedly righteous.