The Wasp — 1889 — page 162: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This 1889 *Wasp* cartoon satirizes wealth inequality and labor conditions. A well-dressed gentleman in a top hat (likely representing wealthy business interests or politicians) confronts impoverished workers and children outside an "Examiner Employment Office." The figures are depicted as destitute—some ragged, one carrying a basket, children present—despite being "honest laborers." The chorus line "Paupers, paupers, paupers" emphasizes the satirist's point: despite working honestly, laborers remain in poverty. The cartoon critiques how the economic system fails working people, leaving them in pauper-like conditions despite contributing labor. The gentleman's stern expression and raised hand suggest either indifference or blame-shifting toward the poor themselves—a common Victorian attitude the cartoonist appears to mock.