The Wasp — 1896 — page 387: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page is primarily **advertising** for San Francisco businesses (breweries, banks, bath houses, typewriters, flour), with one central political cartoon titled "Contractory Evidence." The cartoon depicts two men in coats and hats walking together. The figure on the left wears a vest labeled "TOTALLY BROKE" while the man on the right appears better dressed. Their dialogue addresses **the relationship between poverty and public life**, suggesting that financial hardship actually helps one succeed in public service—that being broke makes someone a better notary public or politician than wealth would. The satire likely critiques **hypocrisy in San Francisco politics**: candidates who claim poverty to gain public sympathy while actually maintaining wealth, or the contradiction between claiming financial struggle and holding lucrative public office. Without specific figure identification visible, the exact targets remain unclear.