The Wasp — 1893 — page 278: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page contains several satirical items about late 19th-century California politics. The main story "Col. Corcoran's Challenge" describes a feud between Colonel James Corcoran of the Connaught Rangers and Senator Bernard Conway over political affiliation and honor—apparently involving accusations about protecting the Democratic party. The cartoon shows a man frantically waving a letter, illustrating Corcoran's angry challenge to Conway. The accompanying sketch depicts someone writing at a desk. Other brief items mock: Kansas City's female mayoral candidate, a tailor's mishap with a dress coat, Democratic confusion about their own election results, and President Cleveland's unusual political methods. The satire targets intra-party squabbling, political pretension, and gender politics typical of 1880s-90s American political discourse.