The Wasp — 1878 — page 144: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This political cartoon depicts a grotesque, multi-headed monster labeled with various social ills: "SUICIDE," "STOCKS," "SPECULATION," "PERJURY," "MURDER," "CUNNING," and "FAMILY RUIN." The beast appears to be devouring or destroying a figure labeled "JUSTICE" at the bottom. The satire criticizes what *The Wasp* viewed as interconnected crimes and moral failures in American society—particularly financial corruption, stock market manipulation, and perjury—that were destroying justice itself. The monstrous visualization suggests these vices were not isolated problems but a unified destructive force threatening the nation's legal and moral foundations. The cartoon likely responds to specific scandals or trials of its era, though without a date visible, the exact historical context remains unclear. The inclusion of "stocks" and "speculation" suggests financial corruption was a primary concern.