The Wasp — March 12, 1880 — page 9: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Political Cartoon Analysis: "Proclamation by the Mayor" This satirical cartoon critiques San Francisco's mayor (likely from the 1870s-80s based on *The Wasp* publication period) regarding treatment of the working poor and Chinese immigrants. The "Proclamation" text denounces military misuse against citizens and calls for addressing poverty, disease, and poor sanitation in working-class neighborhoods. The visual depicts caricatured figures—including what appears to be Chinese immigrants (drawn with offensive stereotypical features characteristic of period anti-Chinese sentiment) alongside working-class San Franciscans. The caption "CANNON TO THE RIGHT OF THEM, CANNON TO" (likely referencing "Charge of the Light Brigade") suggests the mayor's rhetoric masks indifference or violence toward vulnerable populations. The satire exposes a gap between mayoral proclamations and actual municipal protection for marginalized communities.