The Wasp — 1878 — page 151: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This political cartoon depicts a man in formal dress wielding a net to capture a smaller figure's head, while a police dog looks on. The caption reads "LET JUSTICE TAKE ITS COURSE." The imagery suggests critique of law enforcement or judicial overreach—the net implies entrapment or unjust capture rather than legitimate justice. The police dog's presence reinforces this as an official action. Without clear identifying labels visible in the image, I cannot definitively name the specific figures or reference the particular historical event this cartoon addresses. However, the satirical tone suggests criticism of how justice was being administered—specifically that it appeared to be persecution masked as legitimate legal process. The cartoon likely commented on a specific 1880s-1890s criminal case or policy controversy.