The Wasp — 1890 — page 92: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This 1890 *Wasp* cartoon satirizes Irish political figures engaged in deception at the Alameda Democratic Convention. The caricatured men—appearing exaggerated and grotesque in the style typical of period political satire—are depicted as manipulators or schemers, with one figure labeled "W.D. ENGLISH" visible on the left. The setting references "Alameda Democratic Convention," suggesting this critiques Irish-American Democratic Party involvement in California politics. "English Chancery" likely puns on legal deception—chancery courts handled fraud cases—implying the Irish delegates engaged in political trickery or backroom dealing. The cartoon's harsh caricature reflects the anti-Irish prejudice common in late-19th-century American publications, using exaggerated features to mock Irish-American political participation.