The Wasp — 1887 — page 54: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This political cartoon depicts an elephant (the Republican Party symbol) at Castle Garden—a historical immigration processing center in New York. The elephant appears agitated or defensive, with its trunk raised, while being approached by a figure on the left (partially visible). The "Castle Garden" flag suggests this cartoon satirizes Republican Party positions on immigration or immigrant processing. The elephant's aggressive posture implies the cartoonist is criticizing Republican stance as hostile toward immigrants or immigration policy. The specific political context—likely from the Gilded Age era—appears to link the GOP with restrictive immigration attitudes or mishandling of immigrant affairs at this well-known entry point.