The Wasp — 1891 — page 162: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This 1891 *Wasp* cartoon depicts two figures on a San Francisco street. The caption identifies them as "Footpad" (left, a rougher-dressed man) and "Governor Waterman" (right, in formal attire with top hat). The dialogue reads: "Throw up your hands, pard!" and "Why, Jim, is that you? This is a nice way to treat me, after just pardoning you out!" The satire criticizes Governor Waterman for apparently pardoning a criminal (represented by "Jim the Footpad") who subsequently repaid this clemency by robbing or attacking the governor. The cartoon's title, "Base Ingratitude," emphasizes the irony: the governor's mercy was rewarded with crime. This likely comments on actual California penal policy or a specific pardon controversy during Waterman's governorship.