The Wasp — 1879 — page 410: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

The central illustration depicts a figure in military dress riding what appears to be an eagle or imperial bird—a clear reference to Napoleon Bonaparte's imperial symbolism. The accompanying article criticizes California Republican political operatives, specifically George Gorham, comparing their manipulation of party politics to Napoleonic ambition. The satire suggests that Republican "political machines" operate like autocratic regimes, controlling nominations and elections through calculated privilege-granting rather than democratic process. The cartoon implies these political bosses wield Napoleonic power within their party, treating voters as subjects rather than citizens. The "List of the Napoleons" title sarcastically equates ambitious California Republican politicians with historical emperors, mocking their outsized ambitions and autocratic methods in orchestrating party affairs.