The Wasp — 1892 — page 325: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon satirizes President Dwyer of the "Reformed Democracy" (a fictional or satirical name) addressing what appears to be a legal or political proceeding. Judge Sullivan, noted as being "from the foothills," sits prominently in the foreground. The satire mocks Dwyer's promise to punish "those lambs"—suggesting his targets are actually innocent or powerless rather than genuinely culpable. The contrast between the formal, crowded courtroom setting (with spectators in the gallery) and the casual, dismissive language implies the proceedings are politically motivated rather than legitimately judicial. The cartoon critiques what it presents as authoritarian leadership using the legal system to persecute political opponents while disguising it as democratic justice. The specific identities of "Reformed Democracy" and regional politics remain unclear without additional historical context.