The Wasp — 1888 — page 252: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This March 31, 1888 *Wasp* cartoon satirizes Democratic Party leadership. A figure wearing glasses (likely representing a Democratic politician or editor) kneels before an ornate statue labeled "DEMOCRATIC" — the party's symbolic "idol." He wields a hammer and chisel, actively destroying the statue, while Asian decorative objects (globes, vases) surround the scene, suggesting a study or office. The cartoon's message appears critical of Democrats, suggesting their own leaders are dismantling the party from within. The title's irony — calling the party's principles an "idol" being destroyed — implies the cartoonist views Democratic leadership as destructive to their own party's foundations or values. The *Wasp* was a Republican-leaning satirical publication, making this anti-Democratic messaging typical of its editorial stance.