The Wasp — 1890 — page 381: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon depicts **Capital** (the well-dressed man on the left, holding a bag labeled "CAPITAL") confronting **Anarchy and Socialism** (the violent figures on the right, with one wielding an axe labeled "ARBLT" or similar). The industrial factory in the background establishes an economic context. The satire warns that uncontrolled labor unrest and socialist/anarchist movements threaten capitalist enterprise and industrial stability. Capital is portrayed as reasonable and composed, while the opposing forces appear dangerous and destructive—a common rhetorical strategy in Gilded Age political cartoons. The title references "Anarchy and Socialism" as threats to social order. This reflects late 19th-century American anxieties about labor strikes, immigration, and radical political movements challenging industrial capitalism.