The Wasp — 1890 — page 96: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

The top cartoon depicts a conversation between a woman (labeled "She") and a man ("He") about finding a watering-place to "fortify my chest," with the man suggesting a secret-sauced restaurant—likely satirizing San Francisco's social pretensions. The larger cartoon below, captioned "Corea taken care of by Uncle Sam. The Russian Bear and the British Lion just too late!", shows caricatured figures (appearing to represent America, Russia, and Britain) dealing with colonial/imperial concerns. The accompanying article discusses San Francisco's defensive vulnerabilities against British naval attack, and extensively critiques the Chinese Exclusion Act. The author argues exclusion is economically foolish and morally indefensible, advocating instead for Chinese immigration and labor. This reflects late-19th-century progressive opposition to anti-Chinese policies.