The Wasp — 1892 — page 366: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical cartoon depicts a street protest or demonstration centered on police reform. A skeletal Death figure stands elevated on a platform, drumming what appears to be a bass drum labeled "REFORM-DRUM," while holding a flag reading "THE FIRE DEPT MUST BE OUT OF THE S. F. POLICE." Below lies a pile of weapons and debris. The crowd of working-class men surrounding this scene represents ordinary citizens advocating for departmental change. The verse references "Sam Rainey's manly breast" and "Dwyer's bald head pressed," suggesting specific public figures involved in the reform debate. The cartoon satirizes police reform efforts in San Francisco, treating the movement as a death-like or catastrophic event. The skeleton and weapons imagery suggest the artist views these reforms as destructive rather than beneficial.