The Wasp — 1892 — page 32: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical cartoon depicts a Democratic National Convention scenario with the caption "Which One Will Get It?" referencing the competition for the Democratic presidential nomination. The central figure is a bearded politician holding a "Democratic Convention Cracker"—a Christmas cracker symbolizing the party prize. He's surrounded by caricatured birds representing different cities: New York, Chicago, Boston, and San Francisco (labeled on their bodies). The "Polly wants a cracker" visual pun suggests these competing Democratic factions are squabbling like parrots over the party's nomination—essentially portrayed as mere birds fighting for scraps. The satire mocks internal Democratic Party divisions and the perceived desperation of various regional candidates seeking the 1892 nomination, reducing serious political competition to childish pecking-order dynamics.