The Wasp — 1889 — page 257: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This political cartoon satirizes opposition to a proposed treaty with Hawaii. The title suggests the controversy is much smaller than it appears. A tall, distinguished gentleman (likely representing a political figure supporting the treaty) stands elevated, holding a child-like figure. Below him, several Indigenous Hawaiian figures appear agitated and distressed, with exaggerated features typical of period racist caricature. The cartoon mocks treaty opponents by depicting them as overreacting—creating a "tempest in a teapot" (a minor fuss). The positioning suggests the cartoonist favored the Hawaii treaty and viewed resistance as unreasonable or hysterical. The work reflects late 19th-century American expansionism and the problematic racial attitudes embedded in such political discourse. The exact date and specific treaty remain unclear from the visible text.