The Wasp — 1895 — page 38: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

The main cartoon depicts a grotesque figure labeled "Police Commissioner Mose Gunst" advertising cigars and other products. The illustration satirizes San Francisco Police Commissioner Moses Gunst's controversial appointment, showing him as a walking advertisement—literally covered in endorsements for "Best Smoke in the World" and "General Arthur Cigar." The accompanying article criticizes Gunst's appointment, suggesting it resulted from political favoritism rather than merit. The text discusses various political appointees under Whelan's administration, implying corruption and cronyism in city government appointments. The satire mocks how Gunst's reputation has become commercially exploited and how political connections, rather than qualifications, determined his appointment to this public office.