The Wasp — August 9, 1879 — page 10: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Political Satire: San Francisco's "Holy Regime" This page satirizes San Francisco's Mayor through multiple cartoons mocking his authority and religious pretensions. The top section advocates for Rev. Henry Cox's mayoral nomination, praising him as a patriotic Republican alternative. The lower cartoons depict the Mayor's abuse of power through religious imagery—showing him "closing" establishments (The Arion, a saloon) and enforcing "Sunday Law" "by order of His Holiness the Mayor." The final scene shows crowds in a church-like vault, suggesting the Mayor wields papal-like authority over civic institutions. The satire critiques excessive mayoral control over businesses and morality, portraying him as a dictatorial religious figure rather than an elected official. The "ALTA" caricature (left) likely represents opposition interests.