In the political cartoon, we see a donkey (representing the Democratic Party) and an elephant (representing the Republican Party) fighting over a crate of money. The donkey is saying "I'll take what's mine" and the elephant is saying "No, I'll take what's mine". This is a representation of the disagreement between the two parties over how to handle the nation's finances. The cartoonist is suggesting that the two parties are more interested in fighting over the money than they are in governing the country.
We also see a third party, represented by a mouse, trying to sneak away with the money. This is a representation of the third party system that developed during the late 19th century. The mouse is the symbol of the People's Party (also known as the Populists), a third party that developed in response to the economic problems of the times. The Populists were farmers and laborers who felt that the government was not doing enough to help them. They wanted the government to provide more assistance, and they were willing to vote for candidates who promised to help them.
The cartoonist is suggesting that the Populists are taking advantage of the fight between the Democrats and the Republicans. They are sneaking away with the money while the two parties are busy fighting with each other. This is a representation of how the Populists were able to win elections and gain power during this period.
The Populists were eventually absorbed into the Republican Party, and the third party system came to an end. This cartoon is a representation of how the Populists changed the political landscape by realigning the nation from a Democratic system of government to a Republican system.