The Wasp — 1879 — page 72: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical cartoon, titled "Humanity to a Mule by Two Officers of the Law," depicts two police officers mistreating a mule in what appears to be a San Francisco street scene. The image satirizes police brutality and abuse of authority by showing law enforcement behaving cruelly toward an animal. The cartoon likely comments on broader concerns about police misconduct in 1870s San Francisco—a period marked by crime, vigilantism, and questions about law enforcement ethics. By depicting officers beating a defenseless mule, the artist suggests the irony of "law and order" officials engaging in inhumane behavior. The exaggerated, grotesque style typical of satirical publications emphasizes the absurdity and moral failure of such conduct.