The Wasp — 1890 — page 291: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page contains no political cartoon. Instead, it's primarily text—a satirical editorial column and various news briefs typical of *The Wasp's* format. The main illustrated element is a small decorative vignette (top-left) showing a rotund figure reading a newspaper, likely representing a generic "common man" or Uncle Sam figure, used to introduce the editorial about government committees and civil service reform. The text discusses issues like telephone infrastructure, the Russian Czar's health, earthquakes, and ecclesiastical disputes—standard late-19th-century satirical commentary. The editorial advocates for independent, merit-based civil service rather than party-machine appointments. Without a distinct political cartoon, this page functions as satirical journalism rather than visual satire.