The Wasp — 1890 — page 106: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon from *The Wasp* (February 15, 1890) satirizes Speaker of the House Thomas B. Reed. The large central figure, wielding a gavel like a weapon, stands triumphantly over a chaotic House chamber filled with small, struggling figures. A banner reads "The wheels of legislation shall not be blocked," referencing Reed's controversial parliamentary tactics. The caption "I count these men as present" appears on the desk below. The satire targets Reed's practice of counting absent representatives as "present" to establish a quorum—a procedural maneuver that allowed legislation to proceed despite Democratic boycotts. This was seen as autocratic and manipulative. The cartoon depicts Reed as a domineering strongman forcing his will upon Congress, with other representatives rendered powerless and diminished.