The Wasp — 1877 — page 220: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page contains two political cartoons satirizing San Francisco governance. The top cartoon, titled "The Mileage Question," depicts a figure (likely a politician or official) cheerfully starting "on the road for twenty cents a mile"—mocking fraudulent expense claims or kickback schemes involving travel reimbursement. The bottom cartoon shows a figure sitting on the Capitol building, appearing to pocket money while "footing his own traveling bills" at public expense—satirizing corruption where officials collect mileage reimbursements dishonestly. The accompanying text criticizes widespread financial corruption among San Francisco's bankers, merchants, and politicians, arguing that moral decay and fraudulent schemes plague the city's leadership. The satire targets systemic dishonesty in municipal governance during this era.