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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1888 | 6 |
| 1889 | 41 |
| 1891 | 42 |
| 1892 | 32 |
| 1893 | 108 |
| 1894 | 18 |
| 1895 | 112 |
359 stories
- The Great Grain Rate War
Legislators in Olympia spar over a proposed reduction in railroad freight rates, setting Eastern Washington farmers against the powerful railroad corporations.
- The Boodle Scandal: A Fight for a Senate Seat in Olympia
Corruption allegations reach a boiling point in the Washington State Legislature as claims of bribery and 'boodle' schemes threaten to derail the selection of a U.S. Senator.
- Washington State Legislature Ends in Gridlock
After a grueling, unproductive session, lawmakers fail to elect a U.S. Senator, leaving Governor McGraw to appoint a successor amidst a rush of last-minute legislation.
- The State's Secret School Fund Battle
The Board of State Land Commissioners strikes back against allegations of corruption during the financial crisis of 1893.
- The Gallows Reprieve: Nordstrom's Federal Appeal
Convicted of murder and only days from execution, Charles W. Nordstrom wins another stay—this time on a constitutional technicality that could reach the U.S. Supreme Court.
- The Railroads' Man in the Senate Race
A Spokane editor charged that John L. Wilson's campaign for U.S. Senate was being bankrolled and worked by the Northern Pacific and Great Northern railroads.
- The Railroads Tried to Buy a Senate Seat in Olympia
With three transcontinental lines reportedly backing John L. Wilson for the U.S. Senate, the Post-Intelligencer warns that Washington's legislature is not for sale.
- Washington Kept Dodging Its Own Congressional Map
After the 1890 census gave Washington a second representative, the state spent years avoiding the required division into two congressional districts.
- The Free Train Passes That Kept a Senate Seat in Play
In Olympia, a deadlocked legislature, a withdrawn reform candidate, and John L. Wilson's railroad-funded lobby decide who will represent Washington in the U.S. Senate.
- Tacoma Moves to Halt the New State Capitol—and Seattle Cheers
A Tacoma Chamber of Commerce petition urged lawmakers to stop work on Washington's capitol until land values were settled. Seattle's chamber had just endorsed the opposite, and the House committee chairman blamed 'a few bankrupt land speculators.'
- The Railroads Beat the Farmers in Olympia
A bill to cut freight and passenger rates across Washington goes down in the state Senate after a bruising fight, handing the railroads their biggest Northwest victory yet.
- The Railroad Rate Bill Dies in the Senate—and the Palouse Wants Answers
Washington's Helm freight-rate bill passed the House overwhelmingly, then fell in the Senate. Farmers calculated the loss in dollars; editors told voters to remember the senators who killed it.
- The Case of the Tampered Transcript
A legal battle over a contested election takes a dark turn when unauthorized documents appear in the official court record.
- Lawmakers Pocketed Mileage for Railroad Passes They Rode Free
A Tacoma editor accuses Washington legislators of charging the state for travel they never paid for — and then shouting for reform.
- Constitutional Convention Debates Tide Land Ownership
Delegates in Olympia weigh public versus private rights to Washington's valuable shorelines as the state prepares for entry into the Union.
- Drafting Washington’s State Constitution
As the Constitutional Convention approaches its one-month mark, delegates race to finalize the blueprint for the future state, balancing high-minded debate with emotional politicking.
- Tragedy in Olympia: A Brutal Killing of a Chehalis Man
Chehalis man John Heo was found in Olympia with his head half severed; two drinking companions were blamed.
- National Guard Encampment Canceled Due to Budget Woes
Legislative underfunding forces the cancellation of the state's annual military encampment, sparking friction between the Adjutant General and brigade commanders.
- 'The Railroads Have Had It Long Enough'
A railroad-rate bill passed the House almost unanimously and now sits in the Senate, where the Post-Intelligencer warns that any man who stands between the people and the railroads will be crushed — and notes the governor can call an extra session if the legislature balks.
- Two Weeks In, Still No Senator: Olympia's Republicans Tire of the Ankeny Fight
The legislature has been in session a fortnight and Washington still has no United States senator. A colleague's insulting letter blows up, the Wilson and Allen camps fold, and a caucus is called to force the thing to an end.
- A Unanimous Vote to Push Women Out of the Beer Halls
The Washington House backed a bill barring women from working anywhere intoxicating liquor was sold—aimed at waitresses and 'beer rulers' in variety theaters and saloons.
- When 'He' Also Meant 'She'
A uniform school bill ended legal doubts about women serving as county superintendents and school directors—and ordered that masculine pronouns in the school law include women.
- The Senate Says Yes to Women’s Suffrage—For Now
A constitutional amendment to let women vote cleared the Washington Senate with 21 votes and 9,450 petition signatures, but a reconsideration motion threatened to undo it.
- Tacoma Tries to Halt the State Capitol
Tacoma's Chamber of Commerce calls Olympia's new capitol a waste in hard times, but lawmakers vote down a bill to stop the work.
- A Chief's Remains and a Fourth of July at Leschi's Old Camp
Puyallup, Muckleshoot and valley tribes planned a July gathering to disinter a Nisqually chief and rebury him at the site of Leschi's old camp.