The Wasp — August 9, 1879 — page 2: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis of "The Intelligence of Sand Lot Nominees Simplified" This August 9, 1879 *Wasp* cartoon satirizes San Francisco's "Sand Lot" political movement—a working-class faction that held rallies at an empty lot downtown. The title mocks the intelligence of Sand Lot candidates. The cartoon depicts a chaotic scene where a donkey (representing the Sand Lot movement or its voters) wildly swings a hammer at a table where a man signs documents, while suited political figures watch in disorder. The donkey's destructive chaos, contrasted with the supposed seriousness of political nomination, suggests the cartoonist viewed Sand Lot politics as reckless and unintelligent—driven by irrational force rather than reason. This reflects elite San Francisco's contempt for working-class political organizing during this period.