The Wasp — 1879 — page 294: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

The page features a portrait labeled "MARIA LITTA, OF THE STRAKOSCH OPERA COMPANY," a detailed engraving of a woman in period dress with an ornate bonnet and decorative collar. The surrounding text discusses "The Election"—apparently referring to a recent San Francisco municipal election. The Wasp sarcastically credits working-class voters ("horny-handed sons of toil") with achieving victory, while expressing skepticism about reform promises from politicians like A.A. Cohen and others mentioned. The satire critiques the newspaper's reduced circulation, attributing losses to economic hardship rather than editorial failure. The piece defends the Wasp's small readership as a badge of integrity among "people" of principle, while mocking politicians' post-election rhetoric about serving the community.