The Wasp — 1878 — page 18: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

The cartoon depicts two figures in period dress examining a necktie. Based on the caption "The newest thing in ties—The United States Senate," this appears to be satire about the U.S. Senate's perceived dysfunction or ineffectiveness during this era. The exaggerated caricatures—one wearing a top hat, the other appearing disheveled—likely represent political figures or Senate stereotypes. The joke equates a fashionable accessory with the Senate itself, suggesting the institution is merely ornamental or decorative rather than functionally serious. Without clearer identification of specific senators visible in the image, the precise political targets remain uncertain, though the satire clearly mocks Senate operations or authority.