The Wasp — 1888 — page 220: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical cartoon depicts well-dressed civilian figures confronting armed soldiers in a military camp setting. The caption reads: "THE IMPRACTICABLES" and "ITS IS NOT TO REGULATE BUT DESTROY." The cartoon appears to criticize a political group or movement labeled "impracticables"—likely referring to radical political figures deemed unrealistic or destructive rather than reformist. The contrast between the civilians' gesticulations and the soldiers' disciplined formation suggests mockery of the civilians' ineffectual opposition to military authority or established order. The specific identities of the figures remain unclear without additional context, but the satire suggests *The Wasp* opposed these "impracticables" as dangerous extremists whose stated goals of reform actually masked destructive intentions toward existing institutions or governance.