The Wasp — 1878 — page 41: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page contains primarily **text articles rather than visual cartoons**. The main illustrated element is the magazine's masthead featuring allegorical figures around a central seal. The lead article, "OUR GREATNESS IN CROOKEDNESS," satirizes **corruption in the American legal system**—specifically attacking dishonest lawyers who exploit courts and enable criminals. It criticizes how the profession tolerates "bootish pettifoggers" and suggests that judges and courts operate with insufficient gravity and respect for law. A secondary article, "A MANDARIN HIGH IN AUTHORITY," appears to reference **Chinese political figures or diplomacy**, though the specific reference is unclear without additional context. The satire targets systemic legal corruption and institutional decay in post-Reconstruction America.