The Wasp — 1894 — page 160: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon, titled "Common-Sense," criticizes street cleaning practices. It depicts a municipal worker sweeping debris in an urban plaza while well-dressed pedestrians and shoppers pass by. The accompanying text references an exhibition by the "Merchants' Association," suggesting the cartoon satirizes inadequate public sanitation standards. The satire appears to target either: - City officials' inefficiency in maintaining clean streets despite merchant concerns - The gap between merchants' expectations and actual street maintenance efforts The cartoon's point seems to be that visible debris and poor street conditions undermine civic pride and commerce. The "time-honored inefficiency" mentioned in the text suggests this was a chronic, unresolved municipal problem that warranted public ridicule through satire.