The Wasp — 1878 — page 74: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page contains satirical commentary rather than a cartoon. The main article critiques "The Proposed Chinese Capitation Tax"—a $100 tax on Chinese immigrants entering a territory (likely California, given The Wasp's San Francisco origin). The satire mocks both the tax proposal and the naive reasoning behind it. The author ridicules the notion that Chinese laborers would pay this fee, arguing they lack such capital and the plan is economically foolish. The piece also sarcastically suggests illuminating street lamps with phosphorescent paint and other impractical schemes, implying the tax proposal is equally absurd. The page concludes with "A Fable" about an Ant and Grasshopper, likely moralizing commentary on economic behavior. The overall tone reflects anti-Chinese sentiment while criticizing the specific policy's impracticality.