The Wasp — May 29, 1880 — page 6: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis of The Illustrated Wasp, Page 709 The page contains primarily text rather than political cartoons. The main illustration shows a young child eating from a plate, which accompanies a discussion about Sunday closing laws for bakeries. The text debates a proposed law preventing journeyman bakers from working on Sundays. The satirical argument suggests that if this rule passes, families would need to bake bread themselves on other days—implying the law would create inconvenience rather than protect workers as intended. The piece critiques how monopolies and "conservative Governments" claim to modify laws while actually restricting freedom. It references Germany and France as examples of nations increasingly controlling citizens' liberties. The child eating imagery likely emphasizes the practical, domestic consequences of such legislation on ordinary families.