The Wasp — 1890 — page 437: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical cartoon depicts a goat labeled "PUBLIC CRIB" eating from a crib containing various documents and contracts. The papers visible in the crib include labels such as "STEALS," "GRAFT," "PERCENTAGES," "PRINTING CONTRACTS," "BUILDING CONTRACTS," "BRIBES," and "SALARIES." The goat represents corruption or corrupt officials consuming public resources through graft, bribery, and fraudulent contracts. The "public crib" (public funds/resources) is being consumed by these corrupt practices rather than serving legitimate public purposes. This appears to be commentary on municipal or government corruption in late 19th-century America, satirizing how public money was being diverted through various schemes—kickbacks on printing and building contracts, inflated percentages, and outright theft—rather than benefiting the public interest.