The Wasp — 1890 — page 170: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

The "Politics" section satirizes California Democratic Party operations under "the Boss"—likely referring to a political machine leader who controls nominations through the Manhattan Club. The cartoon illustrates this critique: a skeletal figure labeled "Can Sara Bernhardt exist without love?" depicts political ambition as hollow and lifeless when divorced from genuine principle. The text mocks how aspiring politicians must grovel before the Boss to secure nominations, turning elections into patronage transactions rather than merit-based contests. The satire argues the Democratic machine has become so corrupted by boss control that it operates without legitimate democratic process. The section titled "No Fiction This Time" provides anecdotes supposedly proving such corrupt practices actually occur, lending documentary weight to the political critique.