The Wasp — 1877 — page 128: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This political cartoon from *The Wasp* (Vol. 1, No. 33, San Francisco, March 11, 1877) depicts Lady Justice as a skeleton holding balanced scales. On one side sit skeletal figures labeled "SILVER MOUNTAIN" (appearing to reference poor or working-class people), while the opposite scale holds what appears to be mining-related equipment or resources, also labeled "SILVER MOUNTAIN CEMETERY." The cartoon critiques unequal treatment or resource distribution, suggesting that poor populations face death (cemetery) while wealthy interests profit from silver mining. The skeleton imagery and "Equal Weight" title satirize the pretense of justice being balanced when, in reality, economic power determines outcomes. This likely addresses labor disputes or mining industry exploitation during California's post-Gold Rush era.