The Wasp — 1877 — page 110: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This March 5, 1877 *Wasp* cartoon satirizes the contested 1876 presidential election. A bearded man (likely Rutherford B. Hayes, the Republican winner) enters the White House through a door labeled "Entrance for the Honest Elected President." However, he's being physically pulled inside by an allegorical female figure representing the Constitution, while another woman (possibly Liberty) pushes from behind. The satire mocks the election's legitimacy: Hayes won through a controversial Electoral Commission decision that many viewed as corrupt rather than genuinely democratic. The cartoon suggests Hayes requires forcible installation despite lacking honest electoral support. The "Presidential Chair" visible inside reinforces that power, not popular will, determines the outcome. The small dog observing adds ironic commentary on the spectacle.