The Wasp — 1889 — page 180: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This political cartoon from *The Wasp* (March 16, 1889) satirizes the patronage system and cabinet appointments. The caption asks: "They have tickets; are they like the cabinet issue—blanks?" The cartoon depicts several men around a "PATRONAGE" machine, treating political office appointments like a lottery where winners are drawn by chance rather than merit. One figure crawls on the ground below, while others hold papers or gestures—suggesting the scramble for government positions. The "cabinet issue—blanks" reference likely critiques President Harrison's recent cabinet selections as arbitrary or unqualified. The satire suggests that obtaining political office through patronage is essentially gambling, with success dependent on luck rather than ability or principle.