The Wasp — 1895 — page 748: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This political cartoon satirizes the bond-selling practices of the Cleveland and Carlisle administrations. The main illustration shows two figures operating a "Bond Press" — a printing press device — seemingly to manufacture bonds. One figure appears skeletal or emaciated, while the other is corpulent, suggesting the unequal distribution of wealth or the parasitic nature of bond-dealing. The cartoon critiques how bond syndicates profited from government financial dealings. The notice board references favorable bond terms being offered, implying manipulation of public finance. The satire argues that wealthy syndicates exploited government borrowing while ordinary citizens suffered economically. This reflects late-1890s Progressive Era criticism of financial elites' control over monetary policy.