The Wasp — 1895 — page 36: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This Wasp cartoon satirizes California state legislators as threatening thieves attempting to break into the state treasury. A woman personifying California guards an ornate treasury safe with a bear (the state symbol) at her side. Outside, various caricatured politicians—depicted as burglars with masks and tools—attempt to breach the vault from multiple angles. One figure climbs atop the safe while others work at the door. The satire suggests that when the legislature convenes, corrupt politicians immediately scheme to raid public funds for personal gain. The fortress-like treasury, protected woman, and aggressive intruders emphasize the cartoon's message: legislators are inherent threats to the state's finances, treating legislative sessions as opportunities for theft rather than public service.