The Wasp — 1890 — page 162: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page satirizes San Francisco's molders' union strike and the violent assault on a young man named Riddeout by two ironworkers. The main article criticizes the police and press for their inadequate response to the strikers' brutality, arguing authorities failed to protect citizens or report the assault fairly. The cartoon depicts unionized ironworkers terrorizing the city with impunity—described as "one hundred and sixty men permitted to terrorize the city." The satire targets both the striking workers' violence and the city establishment's cowardly inaction, suggesting that constitutional authorities should either enforce law or admit they cannot control organized labor mobs. The page also includes unrelated satirical sketches and advertisements typical of *Wasp* magazine's format.