The Wasp — 1878 — page 186: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon depicts two well-dressed politicians in conversation, satirizing California legislative hypocrisy. The dialogue mocks a legislator who voted for a $15,000,000 Spring Valley water project while claiming to oppose it. The satirist exposes the contradiction: the politician voted for a measure benefiting "our enemies" (presumably corporate interests), then claimed he never supported such projects. The exchange reveals how the legislator justified voting for expensive public works while maintaining a facade of fiscal conservatism. The cartoon likely targets corruption and double-dealing in Sacramento politics, where politicians publicly opposed spending while privately voting for large appropriations—a timeless critique of legislative dishonesty.