The Wasp — 1878 — page 105: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page contains no political cartoon. Instead, it features the magazine's masthead and two articles discussing public policy issues of the era. The main article, "Our Greatness in Crookedness," critiques the Central Pacific Railroad's monopolistic practices and government subsidies. The author argues that while the railroad initially served public interest, it has become a tool for private commercial speculation that exploits consumers through excessive freight and passenger rates. The secondary piece, "Coming Events," warns of approaching political upheaval, predicting conflicts over municipal governance and suggesting that California politics are becoming dangerously entangled with corrupt railroad interests. Both articles reflect *The Wasp's* muckraking stance against monopolies and political corruption during the Gilded Age.