The Wasp — September 6, 1879 — page 2: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Political Cartoon Analysis: "Journalrinis Royal Sand-Lot Circus" This September 1879 *Wasp* cartoon satirizes the California constitutional convention and its aftermath. The image depicts various political figures as circus performers struggling on a "Sand Lot" — a reference to the Sand Lot Party, a working-class political movement that gained prominence during California's economic turmoil in the late 1870s. The cartoon mocks the chaos of state politics, showing politicians as animals (donkeys, goats) engaged in an unstable balancing act. The "New Constitution" referenced in the caption suggests the contentious 1879 California Constitutional Convention, which was heavily influenced by anti-Chinese sentiment and labor concerns. The satire criticizes the circus-like nature of political proceedings and the questionable figures involved in shaping California's governance during this turbulent period.