The Wasp — 1877 — page 26: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This political cartoon satirizes European attitudes toward American presidential salary. The upper panel shows a well-dressed American figure receiving "Presidential Salary" while European observers (labeled nations including Spain) watch from below, appearing envious or critical. The title references "Great Enjoyment of his European Children" — suggesting European powers viewed America's generous executive compensation as excessive or ostentatious. The cartoon likely critiques either American wealth disparity or European commentary on American governance practices during the Reconstruction era. The caricatured figures at the bottom appear to represent different European nations observing America's internal affairs with mixed reactions—part fascination, part disapproval. The satire targets either American self-aggrandizement or European hypocrisy regarding wealth and power.