The Wasp — 1878 — page 108: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page contains satirical commentary and a war-themed illustration rather than a single unified political cartoon. The upper illustration appears to show a Chinese figure with the caption "The Chinese question: 'What fo' you no pay for washee?'" — a racist stereotype mocking Chinese laborers and their English language use. The lower illustration depicts bears and other animals, accompanying "A War Lyric" poem about military conflict (references to Russia, plunder, and "Bull" suggest contemporary imperial tensions, though the specific conflict is unclear from this excerpt alone). The page includes various short satirical commentary items criticizing newspaper enterprises, bureaucratic inefficiency, and social hypocrisy — typical Wasp content targeting corruption and foolishness in late 19th-century American society.