The Wasp — 1892 — page 361: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical cartoon depicts two caricatured figures positioned on a flooded landscape. The lower figure carries a placard reading "SULLIVAN AND DYERS POTATO PATCH," while the upper figure holds a badge labeled "I.M.T. INFLUENCE" and a sack marked "SLATE CANDIDATES SACK." The cartoon appears to criticize political machine influence—likely referencing local Irish-American political bosses (Sullivan appears to be a surname of significance). The "flood" represents a crisis threatening property and livelihoods, while the figures' callous positioning above it suggests political elites exploiting catastrophe for personal gain through slate-making and influence-peddling, indifferent to public suffering below. The overall message critiques machine politics' predatory nature during emergencies.