The Wasp — 1891 — page 254: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

**Main Content:** A portrait and lengthy article by Hon. Joseph G. Cannon (U.S. Representative from Illinois) arguing for free coinage of silver by Congress. **The Political Context:** Cannon advocates monetizing silver alongside gold, arguing this would stabilize currency and increase the money supply. He contends silver has equal value to gold for coinage purposes and that the U.S. Treasury should accept unlimited silver deposits. **Historical Reference:** This reflects the late-19th-century "free silver" debate—a major political conflict between those favoring unlimited silver coinage (seen as helping farmers/debtors) and gold-standard advocates (preferred by creditors/Eastern establishment). **The Satire:** The Wasp presents Cannon's argument straightforwardly, though the magazine's satirical stance on monetary policy isn't explicit on this page. The accompanying illustrations show a separate, unrelated story about a young man named Hayseed.