The Wasp — 1888 — page 370: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This November 1888 *Wasp* cartoon satirizes political drinking culture during an election period. The bartender (behind the counter, grinning) presides over what appears to be a saloon stocked with bottles labeled "Democratic," "Republican," and "Mugwump" (a reference to reform Republicans who split from the party). Two intoxicated patrons sit before him—one appearing disheveled and unwell. When asked "What's the matter with him?" the bartender replies "He's all right!"—a darkly comic commentary on how alcohol consumption corrupts political judgment. The cartoon suggests voters and politicians alike were metaphorically "drunk" on partisan politics during the 1888 presidential election, making poor decisions while appearing oblivious to their impairment.