The Wasp — 1894 — page 350: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon satirizes Irish-American voting behavior during an 1894 San Francisco election. The figure on the left, depicted with exaggerated Irish features, represents an Irish-American voter. He's being confronted by two men near a tree with directional signs pointing to "Dance Pavilions" and "Bar"—suggesting Irish cultural stereotypes. The caption quotes suggest the Irish voter is being "provoked" into voting for O'Donnell through appeals to ethnic identity and liquor, rather than policy. The satire mocks both the Irish-American community's voting patterns and the political manipulation targeting them during this period. The cartoon reflects 19th-century anti-Irish prejudice common in American publications, caricaturing Irish immigrants as easily swayed by alcohol and ethnic appeals rather than substantive political engagement.