The Wasp — 1889 — page 120: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This political cartoon satirizes corruption in San Francisco's municipal services. The central figure appears to be a naive or innocent "lamb" (labeled as such in the caption) being victimized by corrupt officials and institutions. The men in suits and hats represent city departments—visible labels include "School Dept. Refresher," "Street Dept. Reviver," and "Police Dept. Whiskey"—suggesting these agencies used public funds for personal indulgence rather than public service. The bottles and various implements scattered about reinforce accusations of systematic graft and misuse of public money. The smaller figure being manipulated represents how ordinary citizens ("the lamb") were exploited by corrupt city governance. The cartoon's message: honest citizens don't thrive under such corruption.