The Wasp — 1876 — page 131: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page from *The Wasp* (November 27, 1876) concerns Senator Roach and the "Chinese question"—a contentious 1870s political issue about Chinese immigration. The letter at top, from Tom Pitch to Boruck, reveals an attempt to falsify Roach's voting record on Chinese policy. Pitch requests help finding a "reliable narrator" to spread false information about the senator's legislative positions, hoping newspapers won't verify the claims. The illustration below depicts the "Death of Nineteen Chinamen" during a theater stampede on Jackson Street, October 30th—a real incident. The cartoon uses this tragedy to satirize anti-Chinese sentiment and political manipulation around immigration policy. The juxtaposition suggests how Chinese lives were treated callously while politicians cynically exploited the "Chinese question" for electoral gain.