The Wasp — February 28, 1880 — page 8: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Unconstitutional" — A Legal Dispute Cartoon The small illustration at bottom shows two birds (appearing to be ravens or crows) in conversation, captioned "To be Continued" and titled "Unconstitutional." The accompanying article discusses a Superior Court decision regarding the "Dives Ordinance"—a local law about vagrants. The court ruled the ordinance unconstitutional because it distinguished between sexes regarding employment. The piece sarcastically critiques this legal technicality: while courts debate constitutional fine points about sex discrimination, the ordinance's core purpose—addressing vagrancy and morality—remains unaddressed. The bird cartoon likely represents ongoing legal wrangling, with the "to be continued" caption suggesting this constitutional battle will drag on indefinitely, treating serious urban problems as mere technical disputes rather than substantive issues.