The Wasp — 1889 — page 285: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical cartoon from *The Wasp* criticizes **Civil Service Reform** (visible in the incomplete caption). The image shows well-dressed gentlemen and women boarding or near a ship, suggesting political figures or job-seekers embarking on some venture. The satire appears to mock the implementation of civil service reform—likely suggesting that despite reform rhetoric, the same types of people (caricatured with exaggerated features typical of period satirical style) continue to benefit from government positions. The ship imagery may reference the "political machine" or patronage system. Without the complete caption and publication date, the specific political figures cannot be identified with certainty, but the cartoon clearly expresses skepticism about whether civil service reform actually changed corrupt hiring practices.