The Wasp — 1892 — page 194: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This political cartoon depicts a caricatured figure drowning in water alongside what appears to be a large fish or sea creature. The caption states: "If Crimmins and Kelly go swimming in the political pool together, this year, the former is likely to go under.—Country Newspaper." The cartoon satirizes local San Francisco politics, apparently warning that if two political figures named Crimmins and Kelly competed together in the political arena ("swimming in the political pool"), Crimmins would lose or be defeated ("go under"). The exaggerated drowning imagery and the distressed facial expression emphasize the prediction's dire outcome. The specific context of their rivalry or opposing positions remains unclear from the visible text, but this represents typical 1892 American satirical commentary on local political conflicts.