The Wasp — 1894 — page 159: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This political cartoon critiques municipal spending and corruption in city government. Two well-dressed figures (likely city officials or politicians) sweep dirt under a rug—a metaphor for covering up misconduct. The scattered papers labeled "Street Committee Scandal," "Records," "City Hall," "Commission," and "Plunder" indicate allegations of graft and mismanagement. The mechanical street-sweeping machine in the background represents modern technology meant to improve city infrastructure, while the officials' manual coverup suggests they prioritize hiding wrongdoing over actual civic improvement. The cartoon's caption emphasizes the irony: spending public money for machine sweeping versus squandering it through corruption. The figure on the right appears to oversee the operation, suggesting complicity at higher administrative levels. This reflects Progressive Era concerns about municipal reform and machine politics in American cities.