The Wasp — 1889 — page 284: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This political cartoon depicts five well-dressed men in formal 19th-century attire reacting with alarm to something off-page (left). The caption states "THE S ARE OUT" with partial text reading "a much different complexion." The "S" likely refers to a political faction or group—possibly Socialists or a similar movement that threatened the establishment figures shown. The men's exaggerated facial expressions and body language convey panic and dismay at this group's emergence or success. The cartoonist uses caricature and satire to mock the alarm felt by respectable businessmen or politicians when confronted with radical or working-class political movements. The visual comedy stems from their undignified reactions to perceived social/political threat. Without additional context or visible dates, the precise historical event referenced remains unclear.