The Wasp — 1892 — page 20: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a satirical broadside attacking Grover Cleveland's presidential campaign and Democratic Party politics of 1892. The header advertises Cleveland as performing "feats of astounding agility" like a circus act on a "platform of chestnut wood" built for the season. The numbered panels mock various Democratic positions and promises as absurd circus stunts: tickling a Russian bear, riding bicycles as needed, performing with donkeys and rope tricks, and picking pockets without detection. Each panel includes small text explaining the political allegory—likely referencing Cleveland's foreign policy, inconsistencies on economic issues, and accusations of political corruption or hypocrisy. The overall message: the Democratic platform is merely theatrical deception rather than serious governance.