The Wasp — July 31, 1880 — page 2: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "His Mightiness the Mayor, Under the New Charter" This San Francisco *Wasp* cartoon from July 31, 1880, satirizes a mayor operating under newly granted municipal powers (the "new charter"). The illustration depicts the mayor as an imperious monarch seated on a throne, pointing commands while smaller figures—appearing to represent citizens or officials—kneel or bow before him in supplication or submission. The satire critiques what the cartoonist views as excessive or autocratic mayoral authority granted under the revised city charter. The title's sarcastic tone ("His Mightiness") emphasizes the perceived transformation of the mayor into a despotic ruler rather than a democratic servant. The cartoon mocks the concentration of power in municipal government during this period of San Francisco's development.