The Wasp — 1879 — page 800: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page contains political commentary rather than cartoons. The main article, "A Plague on Both Your Houses," compares two candidates for an unnamed election, both named Garfield—one Democratic, one Republican. The text criticizes both candidates as morally compromised. The Democratic Garfield is accused of being a "systematic and protracted course of organized, open-faced lying, cheating and thieving." The Republican Garfield is praised for humble origins but criticized for past misconduct, including a boating incident involving a helpless kitten. The "Stings" section contains brief satirical jabs at various political figures and current events, using humor to mock public figures and political situations of the era. The page demonstrates The Wasp's role as a partisan satirical publication attacking political corruption and hypocrisy.