The Wasp — 1890 — page 203: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page features Democratic Party advocacy ahead of elections. The main cartoon satirizes labor union leadership, depicting strikers being manipulated by union bosses. The image shows workers trapped or chained, illustrating the satirist's argument that union leaders exploit laborers for their own power while claiming to fight for workers' rights. The accompanying text argues that union dictatorship over members is "absolutely intolerable" and that workers are coerced into submission. The article criticizes the union's demand for complete control over members' working conditions and personal affairs. The page also discusses Congressional elections and the Democratic platform's claims about protecting freedom—ironically, while attacking unions for restricting workers' liberty. This reflects late-19th-century debates over labor organizing's legitimacy.