The Wasp — 1894 — page 50: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

**"A Chance for the Militia"** This cartoon depicts two figures in an interior setting. A man in a striped jacket addresses another man, saying: "Why don't you go out and play tennis, George?" The response: "I'm on strike." The caption concludes: "This is a chance for the militia." The satire appears to reference the Pullman Strike of 1894, when federal troops and militia were deployed against railroad workers. The joke suggests that labor strikes create opportunities for militia mobilization. The casual domestic scene—with tennis and leisure activities—contrasts with the violent reality of strike-breaking, implying that the wealthy classes remain detached from working-class suffering while authorities use unrest as justification for military intervention. The cartoon critiques both strike-breaking violence and class indifference.