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170 stories matching mandat
- The 'Ticket-of-Leave' Law: A New Era of Exclusion
New federal legislation mandates that Chinese laborers must register and carry certificates to remain in the country, a move critics denounce as treaty-breaking.
- The Prosecutor’s Payday Ends
A landmark court ruling forces county attorneys to surrender private legal fees back to the public treasury.
- The Blueprint for a New State
As Washington prepares to enter the Union, this constitutional supplement lays the foundational laws for labor, courts, and civil rights.
- 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 Great Seattle Rebuild: Rethinking Fire Safety After the Ashes
In the wake of the Great Seattle Fire of 1889, experts and local leaders scramble to replace wooden tinderboxes with new, fireproof standards and modern building codes.
- The High-License Fight of 1885
As Seattle grapples with the rise of saloons, local temperance advocates and city officials debate the 'high license' strategy to curb the city’s drinking problem.
- The Town Held Hostage by the Railroad
When the Northern Pacific Railroad bypassed an established town to create a company-owned rival, the residents were left in a fight for their city’s survival.
- The Seattle Liquor Board's Battle for Moral Standing
A landmark 1886 legal challenge in King County forces a judge to define the limits of civic power when local officials refuse to grant a liquor license based on a claimant’s character.
- The Eight-Hour Day Battle in 1887
Washington territorial legislators spar over radical new labor laws, including mandates for an eight-hour workday and the end of company-scrip payment systems.
- The City Council Sets Rules for Seattle’s Streetcars
A new ordinance dictates how street railways will operate, mandating street paving, track maintenance, and fare standards to protect the public interest.
- Tacoma’s Mayor Defends ‘Liberal’ Vice Policy
Mayor Wright responds to allegations that Tacoma is a hotbed of corruption, arguing that tax revenue from gambling is necessary for city operations.
- The Pendulum Swings to the Gallows
Angus McPhail, convicted of murdering a Darrington saloonkeeper, is sentenced to death at the state penitentiary.
- The Battle Over Sidewalks: When Seattle's Poor Were Forced to Pay for Progress
In 1885, a divided City Council grappled with whether to tax struggling residents for public infrastructure or use the city's general fund.
- The Piano Player and the Martial Law Mob
When the U.S. Army imposed martial law in 1886 Seattle to restore order amid anti-Chinese riots, one piano player decided to publicly heckle the 'murderers' in uniform.
- The Street Corner Prophet's Scandalous Revelation
A Seattle street preacher who claimed a divine mandate to take a second wife is apprehended by authorities in Tacoma after fleeing his flock.
- The Asphalt Monopoly on Pacific Avenue
Tacoma’s city government faces pressure as questions arise over paving specifications that seem designed to benefit a massive asphalt trust.
- The Right to Vote Should Not Be an Obstacle Course
A Seattle judge strikes down a restrictive registration law that forced foreign-born citizens to constantly prove their naturalization status.
- The Rules of the Game: How Seattle's First Lawyers Codified the Fight for Land
When the Washington Territorial legislature overhauled the rules of civil procedure, they essentially wrote the blueprint for how Seattle’s developers and land speculators would battle over the city’s footprint for decades to come.
- The Great Railway Freight Revolt
In a 1891 legislative showdown, Washington lawmakers slashed freight rates by 25 percent to combat railroad monopolies, sparking a fierce debate over state versus corporate control.
- The Great Land Reclaim: The Fight Over Northern Pacific’s Unearned Rails
A legislative push in 1886 aimed to strip the Northern Pacific Railroad of vast swaths of public land it held but failed to build upon, seeking to return it to settlers.
- The Long Struggle for Train Safety
After a decade of agitation, new federal law mandates automatic couplers and air brakes to end the slaughter of railroad brakemen.
- Tacoma’s Water and Light Bond Issue Struck Down
A Superior Court judge voids a $2,150,000 bond issue, citing municipal debt limits and technical failures in the election process.
- The Shingle Trust Squeezes Workers
Facing falling profits, the Washington and Oregon Shingle Manufacturers Association mandates wage cuts and production limits.
- Seattle Moves to Create a Municipal Employment Office
City council members propose a public bureau to connect laborers with jobs, citing a desire to improve employment conditions.
- The City Treasurer’s Emergency Salvage Plan
Following the absconding of Treasurer Krug, the city rushes to secure the public treasury and prevent a collapse of municipal funds.