The Wasp — 1895 — page 186: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical cartoon depicts the "End of the Legislature" at California's State Capitol. A large figure labeled "Colonel Mazuma" (a play on "mazuma," slang for money) is shown as a grotesque character being ejected or removed from the building, carrying a bulging sack of money marked with a dollar sign. The surrounding figures appear to be legislators or politicians gesturing in various states of distress or relief. The caption suggests the lawmakers are departing, with "nothing left" but to "Weep and Go Home." The satire mocks political corruption and legislative self-dealing—specifically, the accusation that politicians like "Colonel Mazuma" enriched themselves through legislative session activities before finally leaving office.