The Wasp — 1895 — page 221: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page from *The Wasp* (a San Francisco satirical magazine) contains several political commentaries rather than a unified cartoon. The main illustration shows a domestic scene with figures in conversation, captioned with dialogue about marriage being "a failure" versus "a temporary embarrassment"—satirizing contemporary attitudes toward matrimony. The text discusses Republican politics, mentioning ex-President Harrison and Senator Stephen M. White. It critiques political corruption, train robberies near Sacramento, and insurance legislation pending in Congress. One anecdote mocks a Federal official's casual attitude toward political loans. The satire targets California Republican politics and financial impropriety of the era. The lower half shifts to advertising for "Bromo-Seltzer," a patent medicine. The page reflects early 1890s California political scandal and cynicism about politicians' financial dealings.