Research the archive
Narrow 27,002 newspaper stories by words, years, place, newspaper and subject. See when and where they ran, then download what you find.
Put a phrase in quotes ("rent strike") or leave a word out with a minus (strike -baseball). Old scans misspell names, so when little is found, near-spellings are offered.
Refine
Show the numbers
| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1854 | 2 |
| 1859 | 1 |
| 1860 | 1 |
| 1861 | 1 |
| 1862 | 5 |
| 1863 | 1 |
| 1872 | 13 |
| 1876 | 11 |
| 1877 | 12 |
| 1878 | 2 |
| 1880 | 2 |
| 1883 | 9 |
| 1884 | 10 |
| 1885 | 17 |
| 1886 | 11 |
| 1887 | 8 |
| 1888 | 3 |
| 1889 | 22 |
| 1890 | 3 |
| 1891 | 31 |
| 1892 | 42 |
| 1893 | 57 |
| 1894 | 52 |
| 1895 | 18 |
| 1898 | 2 |
| 1899 | 5 |
| 1900 | 3 |
| 1903 | 16 |
| 1904 | 12 |
| 1908 | 1 |
| 1909 | 15 |
| 1910 | 7 |
| 1911 | 2 |
| 1914 | 2 |
| 1915 | 2 |
| 1916 | 7 |
| 1918 | 1 |
409 stories matching corrupt
- Corruption Charges in Snohomish County
The Snohomish County Attorney charges commissioners with 'malfeasance, misfeasance, corruption, and misdemeanor' in a sweeping legal bid to remove them from office.
- A Frontier Independence Day Warning
On the Fourth of July, 1891, Senator Claypool delivers a scathing critique of corporate power, political corruption, and the shifting identity of a growing nation.
- The Corruption of the College Location
North Yakima residents fume over the 'corrupt' decision to place the state agricultural college in Pullman rather than the Yakima Valley.
- The Beer-Fueled Rebellion Against Tacoma’s Political Bosses
When the 'Young Democrats' were counted out of a local primary, they threw a mass meeting at Germania Hall with free beer, sandwiches, and fiery speeches against the corruption of the Griggs faction.
- A Victory Over Land Speculation
A corrupt order favoring railroad interests over public land rights has been rescinded by the General Land Office.
- City Council Charges Corruption in Fire Department
A motion is introduced to investigate grave accusations made against the Mayor and Council concerning the illegal passage of a fire department ordinance.
- The Forged Passports of Seattle's Chinese Exclusion Era
A federal investigation reveals how corrupt officials exploited the Chinese Exclusion Act for profit by forging entry certificates.
- The New Secret Ballot
How Washington's new voting system is designed to curb the corrupt practice of vote-buying.
- The Man Who Took the Bribe to Expose It
Representative Metcalfe’s daring sting operation against Senatorial corruption has turned him into a hero for reformers and a target for powerful enemies.
- The Shadow of the Railroad Lobby
A scathing editorial from 1885 warns of the corrupt influence of railroad corporations over the Washington Territorial Legislature.
- The Governor Who Fought the Lobby
A look back at Henry McBride’s political battles against corrupt railroad interests and secret tax evasion in Washington.
- A Labor Day Call for Civic Accountability
Labor leader William Blackman addresses an Everett crowd, linking the labor movement to the struggle against corporate trusts and political corruption.
- The Boodle Battle: Political Corruption and Vagrancy in Tacoma
As local politicians fight for control of city offices, Tacoma's Populists take aim at 'boodlers' and the importation of vagrants to influence local elections.
- Cleaning House at Olympia
A political scandal involving 'boodlemen' and an anti-corruption push in the Washington State legislature.
- A Call to Oust the 'Corporate Oligarchy' at Olympia
A scathing editorial from the Yakima Democrat accuses the Republican-led legislature of selling out to railroad lobbyists, demanding a political 'deluge' to cleanse the state house.
- The Weight of the Future in 1916
Rev. C.E. Miller challenges Kennewick graduates to tackle the corruption and industrial oppression of their era.
- Corruption at the Naval Department
A scathing report exposes rampant incompetence, fraud, and systematic disorganization within the Naval Department, leaving public service in tatters.
- The Whistleblower Who Won
A Seattle man is acquitted of criminal libel for writing a letter warning labor organizers against a corrupt local official.
- Fire, Graft, and Feuding at City Hall
A City Council meeting descends into chaos as member F.W. Wusthoff is grilled for accusing the Mayor of corruption.
- A Warhorse Against the Political Machine
A frustrated Democratic candidate exposes a 'mutual admiration society' in Whatcom County politics, alleging corruption in the appointment of local postmasters.
- The Shadowy Business of Land 'Jumpers'
A look at the corruption and speculation surrounding homestead land claims in Washington Territory, where the rules of pre-emption favored the well-connected over the actual settler.
- The Fight for Eminent Domain and the Rise of Local Improvement Districts
The City Council debates a controversial proposal to empower the city to condemn land for public improvements, sparking fears of 'jobbery and corruption.'
- The Battle for the Capital: Yakima vs. The Railroads
A fiery local editorial argues that Yakima, not Olympia, should be the state capital to break the corrupt influence of the Northern Pacific Railroad.
- A Scandal in Olympia
As political corruption scandals rock Washington State, local labor advocates argue that an apathetic electorate is just as guilty as the corrupt politicians.
- Justice in the Opera House Block
After years of whispers about corruption and bribe-taking on the Board, a juror finally delivers a verdict that sends a local official to prison, signaling a rare victory against civic graft.
Also about this, in other words
- The Scandal at Yesler’s Wharf
A political candidate attempts to clear his name after being accused of bribing a man to bury a criminal indictment.
- Tacoma's Bribery Probe Ends With a Censure, Not a Conviction
A Tacoma City Council 'Lexow' committee cleared Councilman Thompson and City Clerk Smyth of bribery, then censured Smyth anyway for boasting he'd paid for a vote.
- A Sermon on Civic Corruption
Rev. Wallace Nutting takes the Seattle municipal government to task for its failure to control vice and its admission of helplessness.
- The Ring of Corruption: How King County’s Auditor Hid the Books
A scathing editorial in the Puget Sound Dispatch exposes Gardner Kellogg for refusing to explain thousands of dollars in missing county funds, accusing him of treating public office as private property.
- Corruption Allegations Rock Snohomish County
The prosecuting attorney has filed suit to remove all three county commissioners, alleging drunkenness, waste, and kickbacks from construction contracts.
- The 'Virtuous Spasm' of 1876: Seattle’s Early Critique of Political Greed
An editorial from the Puget Sound Dispatch captures the simmering public outrage over a government scandal in Washington Territory, drawing parallels between national corruption and the mismanagement of local university land grants.
- The 'Ring' and the Rot: A 1872 Call for Municipal Reform
A scathing letter to the editor of the Puget Sound Dispatch exposes a culture of county-level corruption and financial mismanagement that mirrors modern political frustrations.
- The Newspaper Called Tacoma’s Council Corrupt. Then It Refused to Show Up.
When the Tacoma Ledger accused city officials of incompetence and dishonesty, the council demanded proof. The paper stayed home; the council denounced it and asked for a grand jury anyway.