The Wasp — 1878 — page 353: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This political cartoon satirizes efforts to revise California's constitution. The image shows three figures labeled as representing the "Republican Party," "Democratic Party," and "State Rights" carrying large newspapers or documents labeled "REPUBLICAN PARTY," "DEMOCRATIC PARTY," etc. They're depicted as grave-diggers literally burying the California Constitution—shown as a coffin or tombstone marked "CONSTITUTION." On the right sits a skeletal or death-like figure, apparently representing the state itself or its political future. The satire suggests that both major political parties, despite their differences, are complicit in destroying or fundamentally dismantling California's constitutional framework through their competing interests and "State Rights" considerations. The cartoon criticizes how partisan politics corrupts constitutional governance.