The Wasp — 1889 — page 154: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This political cartoon depicts a man in formal dress playing a large pipe or horn by a riverbank, apparently causing or exacerbating flooding. The figure appears to be a business leader or politician, while another man sleeps or lies unconscious below on the bank—possibly representing the sleeping public or government. The satire criticizes how business practices (represented by the pipe-playing figure) are "precipitating a flood"—creating economic or social disaster—while warning that "the Administration" should protect itself from the consequences. The cartoon suggests that unchecked business activity poses a danger that the government should address before the situation becomes catastrophic. The sleeping figure implies public unawareness of the threat.