The Wasp — 1881 — page 450: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical cartoon depicts a biblical King Solomon figure presiding over a dispute. The central crowned figure holds a sword, flanked by two other characters labeled "RACE QUESTION" (left) and what appears to be "DODGE" (right, wearing a cap). A child or small figure is held aloft between them. The title "The Mint Solomon" suggests a pun on Solomon's famous wisdom—here applied sarcastically to a contemporary political figure (likely California governor or politician named Dodge) attempting to resolve the "Race Question," a euphemism for conflicts over Chinese immigration and labor, which were intensely divisive issues in 1880s California. The cartoon satirizes the futility or absurdity of attempting to "split the baby" on this divisive issue.