The Wasp — 1893 — page 10: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# The Wasp, July 1, 1893 — Political Satire Page This is primarily a **text-based editorial page** rather than a cartoon page. The masthead identifies *The Wasp* as "The Oldest Cartoon Paper in Colors in the United States," published in San Francisco. The content satirizes **local San Francisco Democratic politics**, particularly mocking Max Popper's recent election as Democratic party chief. The editorial ridicules Popper and associates like Senator Stephen M. White, using cutting commentary about their political ambitions and character flaws. The piece also critiques **Judge Sullivan**, **Mayor McAllister**, and comments on **Pope Leo's recent encyclical** regarding American archbishops—mixing local political mockery with broader Catholic Church controversy. The satire's main target: opportunistic Democratic office-seekers and their transparent self-serving ambitions in San Francisco.