Spotprent op redevoeringen in de Tweede Kamer over het gebruik van sterke drank in Indië, 1869 1869

This is Johan Michaël Schmidt Crans' lithograph from 1869, titled "Spotprent op redevoeringen in de Tweede Kamer over het gebruik van sterke drank in Indië". Consider the setting: the Dutch Parliament debating alcohol consumption in the Dutch East Indies. This cartoon captures the tension between colonial policies and their impact on indigenous populations. The figures represent opposing viewpoints within the government, one offering a drink, symbolizing the pervasive influence of alcohol, while the other refuses, perhaps representing a moral objection to its use in colonial contexts. The text below the image highlights this division, "Cheese and bread with jenever, no thank you," suggesting a rejection of colonial practices. What we see is more than a simple political disagreement; it reflects the complex interplay of power, ethics, and cultural imposition. It speaks to the emotional and personal dimensions of governance and the moral ambiguities inherent in colonial rule.