The Wasp — 1896 — page 968: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page contains a letter-to-editor section titled "Steam Beer Politics," where correspondent Lawrence Mulrooney complains about San Francisco politicians' corruption. He mentions specific figures like Boss Rainey and references to police corruption and political appointments. The cartoons illustrate the "old boy network" of corrupt city politics: one shows "The Senator and the Boss of Bersal Heights Confer," depicting backroom dealing; another titled "Accepted" shows a man pursuing a woman, satirizing how political favor-trading works like romantic seduction—"money talks more eloquently than you could hope to do." The overall message: San Francisco's political establishment operates through personal connections and bribery rather than merit or law. The magazine positioned itself as exposing these hidden corrupt practices to the public.