The Wasp — 1894 — page 375: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This political cartoon depicts a scene where a figure labeled "SURE DEATH" (a revolver on a table) is being offered to another character. The caption identifies this as "Buckley" offering "the moralist" an opportunity for suicide. Based on the surrounding text discussing a man named McEwen and crimes in San Francisco, this appears to satirize a California political figure or judge named Buckley. The cartoon suggests Buckley is pressuring a moralist (likely representing reform advocates or ethical critics) into an impossible position—either accept corruption or face professional destruction. The satire mocks what *The Wasp* viewed as Buckley's cynical manipulation of idealistic reformers, forcing them to compromise their principles or be ruined.