The Wasp — 1891 — page 148: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page contains a serious political essay titled "The Elective Franchise a Trust," written by General W.S. Rosecrans (whose portrait appears center-left). Rather than satire, the piece argues that voting is a solemn responsibility requiring reciprocal duties between citizens and the state. The article discusses representative democracy, the Civil War's resolution of slavery and secession, and railroad/commercial progress. It emphasizes that voters must exercise their franchise carefully and that neglecting civic duties produces evil consequences. The remaining sections—"He Cooled Off," "Just What She Expected," "A Machiavellian Despot," and "Consolation"—appear to be brief humorous anecdotes, though they're difficult to parse from this OCR'd excerpt alone.