The Wasp — 1894 — page 265: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This 1894 satire mocks a proposed exclusionary treaty against Chinese immigration. The left panel presents a mock treaty document titled "Our New Treaty: Warranted to Exclude All but the Chinese," with five sections detailing elaborate restrictions (residency requirements, affidavits, language tests, photographs, and a ten-year enforcement clause). The right panel shows a padlocked gate labeled "National" with a caricatured Chinese figure (the "Chinese Minister") and a grinning man (likely representing a U.S. politician or Cleveland administration official) standing beside it. The imagery ironically suggests that despite the restrictive treaty language, Chinese entry remains secured—the lock appears ineffective or the agreement is a sham. The cartoon criticizes the hypocrisy of anti-Chinese legislation that failed to achieve its stated exclusionary purpose.