The Wasp — 1877 — page 237: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page is primarily text-based editorial content rather than a cartoon. The main article attacks "Effigy Sargent" (likely referring to a politician named Sargent) under Boss Carr's leadership, describing a corrupt federal patronage network during Grant's administration. The piece alleges that Sargent and associates Pinney, Gorham, Page, and Carr have exploited positions in the Federal service through corruption. A secondary article critiques women's education and rights, arguing against women's involvement in political decision-making and promoting traditional domestic roles—reflecting 1870s conservative opposition to women's suffrage and expanded education. The satire targets both political corruption and progressive social movements of the Reconstruction era.