The Wasp — 1895 — page 56: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical cartoon depicts the firing of Mose Gunst by Governor Jim Budd. A proclamation nailed to a fence announces Gunst's dismissal, while a figure lies dead below, labeled with documents including "Resignation D.N.B." and "Appointment of Mose Gunst to Police Commission." The cartoon's dark humor suggests Gunst's political career ended through scandal or forced removal—depicted literally as death. The crowd above the fence appears to be officials or witnesses to this political downfall. The juxtaposition of the firing proclamation with Gunst's apparent demise satirizes the consequences of his brief appointment to the police commission. This appears to reference specific California political events from the 1890s-1900s era, though exact details require further historical context.