The Wasp — 1888 — page 217: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page features biographical profiles of Republican congressmen, including Timothy Guy Phelps, John E. Eagan, and Joseph McKenna, with their political accomplishments and character assessments. The main illustration (upper right) depicts a witch or supernatural figure, accompanying a section titled "An Idea" — likely satirizing political or social proposals of the era. Below are humorous dialogues and anecdotes, including exchanges about "the Fisheries Treaty" and Irish voters, reflecting contemporary political debates. The final item, "A Pathetic Appeal," presents a brief comedic vignette of social hardship, typical of The Wasp's satirical commentary on urban life and human nature. The magazine blends political biography with sharp social humor characteristic of late 19th-century American satire.