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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1854 | 1 |
| 1862 | 1 |
| 1871 | 1 |
| 1877 | 1 |
| 1883 | 1 |
| 1887 | 2 |
| 1889 | 3 |
| 1891 | 3 |
| 1892 | 7 |
| 1893 | 3 |
| 1894 | 1 |
| 1895 | 6 |
| 1903 | 1 |
| 1909 | 3 |
| 1911 | 1 |
| 1914 | 1 |
36 stories matching argument
- The Rural Rebellion Against the Eight-Hour Day
Farmers argue that an initiative measure pushed by labor unions would spell ruin for the agricultural industry.
- The Price of a Capitol Seat
When the Territorial Legislature convened in Olympia, residents hiked rent to price gouge the lawmakers, sparking a legislative push to abandon the capital city.
- A One-Man Supreme Court: Olympia Weighs 500 Cases and 16-Hour Reading Days
A legislative investigation hears that Washington’s high court has misstated facts and been crushed by its workload — with one justice sometimes reading an entire case alone.
- The Speaker’s Gavel Clash
In the Territorial House, a subtle procedural error leads to a public confrontation over how legislation is truly passed.
- The Argument for a Railroad Commission
Advocating for constitutional oversight of rail monopolies to curb corporate influence in Washington politics.
- Why Olympia Should Be the Capital
A robust argument for keeping the state capital in Olympia, citing its climate, central location, and superior hotel infrastructure.
- Washington's 1889 Convention Debates Land Ownership, Bribery
Delegates in Olympia debate alien land rights and anti-bribery measures for the new state charter.
- The Tunnel Under Seventh Street: Two Property Owners Take On the Railroad
Captain Hatch seeks $10,000 and J. A. Silsby $5,000, blaming the Northern Pacific's new tunnel for damage to their buildings — while the railroad insists the city, not the company, should pay.
- The Argument for Washington Statehood in 1883
An editorial from the Pacific Chronicle argues that the territory’s rapid growth and wealth entitle it to immediate admission to the Union.
- The Great Legal Squabble of 1871
A simmering territorial dispute over the 'Big Wigs'—the lawyers and judges—debating exactly when a law becomes a law.
- The Pioneer Argument Against Prohibition
An 1854 speech by legislator Mr. Chenoweth argues that legal coercion is a poor substitute for individual morality in the fight against intemperance.
- The Struggle for Inclusion in the Civil War Era
A local letter to the editor challenges the anti-immigrant prejudice of the day, arguing that foreign-born citizens are just as essential to the Republic as native-born ones.
- The Governor Vetoes Debt Relief, and the Paper Cheers
A bill meant to soften deficiency judgments after foreclosure is killed — on the theory that frightened capital would simply stop lending, hurting the very debtors it was meant to save.
- A Special Session Becomes an Impeachment Court
Washington lawmakers returned to Olympia to try Insurance Commissioner Schively, with the accused demanding that more than a dozen senators be disqualified as biased judges.
- Railroad Lobbyists Left Grumbling in Olympia
A legislative meeting with railroad attorneys devolved into a farce when key senators failed to show, leaving the powerful corporation representatives dazed and empty-handed.
- Olympia’s Fight for a Deep-Water Harbor
Citizens tell the harbor-line commissioners to claim Budd Inlet’s tide flats for public wharves—not a narrow waterway that would hand the waterfront to private owners.
- The Judge, the County, and the $2,000 Court Record
A Yakima County land case with 128 parties reaches Olympia's Supreme Court over who must pay for a transcript that could decide the value of every farm acre.
- Olympia's High School Bond Fight, Priced at 25 Cents
The Tribune urges voters to approve a $40,000 school bond, rebutting claims of contractor influence and calculating the cost to a $7,000 homeowner at about a quarter.
- The Great Legislative Mess of 1877
A scathing editorial reveals how Washington Territory lawmakers spent their time sight-seeing instead of legislating, resulting in a chaotic pile of 'undigested' laws.
- Oregon's Lobbyists Descend on Olympia for the Lewis and Clark Fair
Washington legislators balk at donating $200,000 to Portland's 1905 exposition, as Senator J. P. Sharp calls it an indiscriminate giveaway of public funds.
- Seventy Percent of Washington's Schoolbooks Came From One Publisher
A new textbook law forces Olympia to throw out most of the books Washington children use. One agent demanded a private hearing with the state board; the board opened the doors and he walked out.
- Farmers vs. the Railroads: The $3-a-Ton Fight in Olympia
At a legislative hearing, Washington's grain growers demand a cap on wheat freight rates — while Northern Pacific warns the bill will come straight out of its working men's wages.
- A Downtown Church Outgrows Its 1856 Home
Olympia's Methodists are quietly preparing to raise a new church at Fifth and Adams, honoring the pioneers who built the old one on Fourth — and the 375 souls who now fill the pews.
- The Capitol Job: Seattle’s Union Trades Beat a $3 Wage
A bricklayers’ letter recounts how union men, backed by stonecutters, forced contractors at the Washington State Capitol to hire union labor at $4 for an eight-hour day.
- 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.