The Wasp — 1896 — page 119: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page satirizes San Francisco civic corruption and malfeasance. The cartoons depict various schemes: 1. **Hotel dodge**: Hotels avoiding safety regulations by pretending to unload bricks instead of cargo, bribing inspectors. 2. **Milk inspector corruption**: An inspector can be bribed to overlook adulterated milk being sold to the public. 3. **City Hall voting fraud**: A supervisor votes for a franchise while allegedly receiving bribes ("dollar marks"). 4. **Horse doping at Bay District races**: Checking if racehorses are artificially stimulated before competition. 5. **Pavement/sewer fraud**: Corrupt contractors using substandard materials while pocketing funds. 6. **Surveillance of reporters**: Authorities monitoring journalists investigating these schemes. The satire attacks systematic corruption permeating San Francisco's institutions.