The Wasp — 1888 — page 137: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This political cartoon illustrates the proverb about straining at gnats while swallowing camels—meaning to obsess over minor issues while ignoring major ones. The left panel shows customs officials meticulously inspecting goods on a ship, with detailed scrutiny of small items. The right panel depicts the same officials greeting wealthy, well-dressed gentlemen with apparent indifference, suggesting they overlook substantial corruption or smuggling by the powerful. The satire criticizes selective enforcement: customs bureaucrats rigorously harass ordinary merchants and passengers over trivial violations while turning a blind eye to significant misconduct by the wealthy or politically connected. The title explicitly frames this hypocrisy as the central complaint about Gilded Age American customs practices.