The Wasp — 1881 — page 38: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon satirizes Native American and immigrant political representation in late 19th-century America. Two figures wearing feathered headdresses are depicted as "the people," wielding a tomahawk and surrounded by scattered papers labeled "FARES" (possibly "FARES PROHIBITED" or similar regulations). The image appears to mock the notion that Native Americans and/or immigrant groups were the true "people" with political power. The caricature style and feathered headdresses reflect common racist stereotypes of the period. The tomahawk and chaotic scattered documents suggest this "people" power was portrayed as uncivilized or destructive to proper governance. The cartoon likely commented on contemporary debates about voting rights, representation, and who legitimately counted as "the people" in American democracy.