The Wasp — 1891 — page 212: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page features Hon. John H. Mitchell in "Our Gallery of American Statesmen," addressing whether U.S. Senators should be elected by direct popular vote rather than by state legislatures (the then-current system). Mitchell argues against direct election, contending that average voters lack sufficient knowledge to choose Senators wisely. He defends the existing system as a "check" on democracy, claiming restrictions on voting protect republican principles. The bottom cartoon, "A New Year's Call," depicts a humorous domestic scene where Willis resists his wife's insistence on New Year's social calls, claiming hard luck as his excuse. The satire critiques anti-democratic arguments defending elite control of Senate selection—a major Progressive-era debate resolved by the 17th Amendment (1913), which established direct Senate elections.