The Wasp — 1878 — page 265: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page is primarily **text-based content**, not political cartoons. The visible illustration is the magazine's masthead—an ornate decorative emblem featuring "The Illustrated Wasp" with classical figures. The editorial content addresses two topics: 1. **"Our Greatness in Crookedness"** critiques American government corruption. It argues that despite the country's foundational ideals, dishonesty pervades public administration. The author sarcastically suggests that governmental crookedness has become so normalized that citizens no longer expect honesty from officials. 2. **"A New System of Education"** attacks what the author sees as inadequate moral instruction in San Francisco schools, arguing they fail to instill proper values in children regarding honesty and ethical behavior. Both pieces use satire to expose perceived failures in American civic and educational institutions during the Gilded Age (1878).