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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1903 | 21 |
| 1904 | 982 |
| 1907 | 7 |
| 1909 | 903 |
1,913 stories
- The Legislative Hangover of the Anti-Saloon League
How the obsession with prohibition paralyzed the Tacoma legislature and derailed actual governance.
- Senate Rejects Eight-Hour Workday for Women
Legislators kill labor reform, prioritizing industrial profits over the well-being of working women.
- Who Decides Our Judges?
Lawyers in the legislature are moving to strip the public's right to nominate Supreme Court justices.
- The State Insurance Scandal
A legislative standoff ends as Governor Hay forces an investigation into the insurance commissioner’s office.
- Sunday Amusements Legalized in Washington
A new state criminal code moves to modernize public life, allowing theaters, baseball, and billiards on Sundays.
- Tacoma's Congressman Betrays the People in D.C.
Francis W. Cushman aligns with political bosses, voting against rules that would have allowed for greater congressional transparency and legislative accountability.
- Tragedy in Olympia Following Domestic Dispute
A young man takes his own life after his wife refuses to live with him due to his alcohol use.
- The Battle to Protect Civil Service Reform
Tacoma’s City Council faces a showdown as political machines push to dismantle merit-based municipal hiring.
- The Iron Horse Makes Tacoma its Home
The Great Northern Railroad shifts its western terminus to Tacoma, promising a population boom and shifting the city's status in the eyes of national rail agents.
- City Council Blocks Charter Reform
Tacoma councilmen stall special election for new commission-style government to protect existing political machines.
- Tacoma Citizens Demand Commission Government
Frustrated by the city council's refusal to act, reformers begin a petition drive to force a charter revision election.
- Supreme Court Rules Against Interurban Line in Fatal Collision
A long-standing legal battle concludes as the court upholds an $18,000 judgment for a 1906 tragedy on the interurban line.
- City Hall Capitulates to Charter Reformers
Facing 1,600 petitioners, Tacoma city councilors vote to place commission government proposal on the ballot rather than face a forced election later.
- The Fight for Tacoma’s Charter
As the city council calls for a special election to rewrite the municipal charter, citizens are warned to watch for corporate interests looking to hijack the reform movement.
- Voters Reject Park Board’s $750,000 Tax Hike
Tacoma citizens shut down a massive bond proposal, citing a lack of transparency and fears of bureaucratic extravagance.
- State Secretary Faces Ouster in Insurance Graft Scandal
Sam H. Nichols, under investigation for his role in the insurance department, is expected to step down following mounting political pressure.
- The City’s Endless Debt Cycle
Tacoma’s casual approach to borrowing is mortgaging the future.
- State House Scandals Force Reckoning
Legislative committee tightens the net around officials amid corruption allegations.
- Assessors Defy Convention to Raise Railroad Taxes
Washington state assessors vote to increase tax rates on first-class railway lines despite a lack of consensus in the main convention.
- The Power War on the White River
A citizen writes to the editor warning that corporate legal battles over water rights could stifle industrial growth for all of Tacoma.
- City Liability for Sidewalk Accidents
The state supreme court caps damages for a school teacher injured on an Olympia sidewalk, setting a precedent for municipal liability.
- Tacoma's 1904 Election Pits Mayor Against Saloons
As the municipal election approaches, the city finds itself divided between Mayor Campbell’s 'clean' town and George P. Wright’s 'wide open' policy.
- Predatory Lending Against Tribal Land
Legal battle initiates to annul a property deed used as predatory collateral for a small cash loan.
- The Business of City Hall
Mayor-elect George P. Wright promises a new, business-minded administration for a debt-burdened Tacoma.
- Mange Outbreak Hits Spanaway
A dangerous animal disease threatens the local economy, as officials scramble to isolate horses and dogs to prevent further contagion.