The Wasp — 1879 — page 700: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This June 5, 1880 *Wasp* cartoon satirizes capital punishment, specifically execution by hanging. The central figure appears to be a uniformed official or executioner on a gallows platform, surrounded by robed women (likely representing "Justice" or legal/judicial authority based on their formal dress and head coverings). The caption "UPHELD BY LAW" suggests ironic commentary on how the legal system sanctions executions. The women's presence emphasizes that this violence is officially sanctioned and supported by institutional authority rather than representing true justice. The cartoon likely critiques either a specific execution upheld by California courts in 1880, or capital punishment generally. The *Wasp* was known for progressive social commentary, making this a pointed attack on state-sanctioned killing as fundamentally unjust despite legal authorization.