The Wasp — 1879 — page 167: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page is primarily **text and masthead**, not a political cartoon. The Wasp's masthead features ornamental design with the publication's name. The main article, "Reasons Why the Anti-Coolie Bill Had No Effect," satirizes opposition to Chinese immigration legislation. It mockingly argues that Christian Americans fail to exclude Chinese workers because they love money and commerce more than their stated religious principles. The text references Henry Ward Beecher and DeWitt Talmage as prominent ministers who supposedly opposed the anti-Chinese bill, suggesting their Christianity was compromised by economic self-interest. The satire criticizes American hypocrisy: professing Christian values while enabling Chinese immigration for profit. This reflects 1879 California's intense anti-Chinese sentiment and labor anxieties.