The Wasp — 1877 — page 101: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page is primarily **text and advertising** rather than political cartoons. The masthead illustration shows a wasp, the magazine's logo. The main editorial content critiques **San Francisco municipal corruption**, particularly targeting: - **City Treasurer and Tax Collector** positions held by allegedly incompetent or corrupt officials - **Police Chief** and administrative appointments made through political patronage rather than merit - **Congressional representative Congressman Piper**, criticized for nomination processes that favor party loyalty over qualifications The piece argues that electing "dummies" to office—unqualified party loyalists—perpetuates inefficiency and corruption. It advocates for merit-based appointments of intelligent, honest, respectable men instead of partisan hacks. The page concludes with advertisements for cigars, carriages, and a hatter, typical of 1870s publications.