The Wasp — 1894 — page 332: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

The central cartoon depicts a man being progressively crushed and squeezed by mechanical tax-collection devices, with money being extracted at each stage. The illustration labeled "INCOME TAX" shows the taxpayer's transformation from a whole person into increasingly diminished forms as his wealth is removed. This satirizes the burden of income tax collection, likely referencing early 20th-century American taxation. The cartoon suggests taxes are a dehumanizing, mechanical process that systematically depletes citizens' resources. The crude, violent imagery emphasizes public frustration with tax obligations during an era when income taxation was relatively new and controversial in America. The humor relies on exaggeration to criticize government revenue extraction practices.