The Wasp — 1889 — page 232: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical cartoon from *The Wasp* (April 6, 1889) depicts a horse labeled "Democracy" ridden by two caricatured figures—one appears to be a corrupt politician or boss figure in formal dress, the other a rotund character in a hat. They're shown jumping over a barrel, while a well-dressed man on the left watches with concern. The title "No Obstacle to the Solid Nine" likely references a political bloc—possibly the "Solid South" (Democratic-voting states) or a similar voting coalition. The cartoon satirizes how corruption or political manipulation ("Democracy" as a riderless steed being controlled) overcomes institutional checks. The barrel suggests obstacles that prove meaningless against entrenched political power.