The Wasp — October 18, 1879 — page 10: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Political Satire from The Wasp This page attacks a Mayor (identified in upper left) through multiple vignettes showing municipal corruption. The top scene depicts officials "knocking spots out of it / Bottom out" — suggesting embezzlement or mismanagement. The middle section shows figures around a cauldron labeled "Sewage—Rich Manure for Around Trees and Money Sap All"—satirizing how municipal contracts funnel public resources to connected politicians. The bottom panel shows "School Certificates" being distributed "Retail, and by the Piece"—mocking the sale of fraudulent educational credentials, suggesting the mayor's office peddles fake qualifications for profit. The large profile portrait (left) represents the mayor himself. The overall message: the administration converts public services (sewage, schools) into personal profit schemes through systematic corruption.