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54 stories matching arbitrari
- The Mayor's Veto of Arbitrary Police Power
Mayor Ronald strikes down a vehicle regulation ordinance, arguing that delegating absolute control to police officers oversteps the law.
- Smallpox and Scandal at the Pest House
Mayor Ronald rejects calls to remove the Board of Health despite documented brutality and neglect at the city's quarantine facility.
- A Railroad Rate Cut Redrew the Northwest's Trade Map
The Northern Pacific's new freight tariff aimed to make Puget Sound the gateway for Eastern Washington and Idaho—shutting out St. Paul and San Francisco.
- Judicial Bias Against Organized Labor
The Labor Journal clashes with a federal judge over his interrogation of naturalization applicants regarding their union ties.
- 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 Inspector on Trial
Local steamboat captains revolt against a federal inspector accused of corruption, bullying, and selling life preservers for profit.
- The Mayor's Power Grab at City Hall
Mayor Ronald moves to dissolve the police commission, raising alarm about the erosion of Seattle's checks and balances.
- The Waterfront Exclusion
Citizens are being physically hustled off the docks as a new, exclusionary policy takes hold during passenger boat arrivals.
- Seattle’s Acting Mayor Ousted in Mystery Resignation
Dr. Sweeney resigns after a sudden, suspicious removal by the board of aldermen, sparking rumors of gambling influence.
- A Library in Jeopardy
The City Council's arbitrary deadline for the Woman's Reading Club puts a vital community project at risk.
- The Great Railway Debate
Legislators in Olympia grapple with the Farmers' Alliance, railroad monopolies, and the fight for equitable shipping rates as tension mounts between East and West Washington.
- The Mayor's Power Play Fails
A judge rules that Seattle's Mayor overstepped in his attempt to purge the Board of Public Works for political gain.
- The Tacoma Wharfage War
A passenger steamship line faces a bitter blockade after refusing to inflate prices to protect Northern Pacific rail interests.
- The Great Ballot Standoff of 1887
Defying court rulings and the city attorney, Seattle election officials boldly register 800 women to vote in a municipal election, sparking local outrage.
- The Brotherhood Challenges a Receiver's Firing Spree
Conductors from the Seattle, Lake Shore & Eastern railroad sue for reinstatement, claiming their firing was a retaliatory, arbitrary act by a receiver ignoring labor contracts.
- The Deportation of Ah Choong
A Chinese resident is detained in Port Townsend despite possessing a Geary Act certificate, illustrating the arbitrary cruelty of federal exclusion laws.
- The Hanford Irrigation Crisis
With the receiver out of funds and water users refusing to pay excess charges, the future of the Hanford irrigation project hangs in a precarious legal balance.
- The Finley Grange's Mock Divorce Trial
A local organization stages a fake courtroom drama to serve as a closing act for a years-old, real-life legal grudge.
- Supreme Court Backs Benton County Taxpayers in Bond Case
The Supreme Court rules against Benton County commissioners for 'bad faith' in a courthouse bond dispute.
- The Defendant as a Plaything of the State
A legal battle over repeated arrests for the same charge highlights the arbitrary power of local prosecutors in 1890s Seattle.
- Tragedy Challenges Church Dogma
The death of a prominent Methodist in the Iroquois Theater fire forces Tacoma’s religious leaders to grapple with the church's strict ban on theater-going.
- The Railway Monopoly’s Grip Loosens
A local rail executive challenges a restrictive traffic contract, opening competitive freight rates for the region.
- The Tyranny of the Injunction
An editorial critique of the judiciary's increasing reliance on court orders to break labor strikes and circumvent legislative power.
- A Clash Over Religion and Power at Simcoe
Superintendent Kendall's decision to fire staff at the Simcoe Agency sparks a furious debate over the separation of church and state in Indian affairs.
- A Territorial Power Struggle
A scathing critique of the Acting Governor's unilateral removal of a Capitol Commissioner.