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43 stories matching backroom
- The Political Smoke of 1891: Backroom Deals and Populist Uprisings
While Washington’s early legislature debated the direct election of senators and railroad regulation, backroom meetings at the Olympia Hotel signaled the enduring influence of corporate power.
- The Shadowy Campaign for Seattle's Waterfront
Before the city was fully formed, a powerful railroad lobby attempted to secure the lucrative tide-lands of Elliott Bay through backroom deals.
- The Midnight Wait for Sunnyside Land
Homesteaders staked out a long, cold vigil at the land office, only to find the government had already cut a backroom deal.
- The Battle for the Benton County Courthouse
Taxpayers mount a legal challenge to halt a $125,000 bond issue, alleging backroom deals and corrupt influence by county commissioners.
- The Palace Coup at the Young Men’s Independent Club
A political faction attempts to seize control of a local club through backroom deals and 'gag rules,' only to be met with a revolt by the membership.
- The Sewer Scandal and the 'Pull' of the Democratic Machine
Testimony in the investigation of city official Jesse Cochran reveals a culture of backroom deals, sub-standard materials, and patronage hiring within the city's public works department.
- The Silver Fight Waiting Inside Spokane’s Republican Convention
Nine Supreme Court hopefuls, three congressional candidates, and a free-silver bloc turn Washington’s 1894 state convention into a backroom brawl before it even opens.
- The Political Trading Floor in Mission
A backroom bargain in Chelan County pits local ambition against the governor's power, revealing the high-stakes chess game behind early 20th-century endorsements.
- Fire Loss Fuels Push for City Water System
After a devastating local fire, the city council faces allegations of corruption, backroom dealing, and profit-seeking at the expense of public safety.
- The End of the Railroad's Good Old Boys
Tacoma's long-standing era of railroad tax manipulation ends as the Northern Pacific transitions from backroom whiskey diplomacy to formal tax accounting.
- The Railway King's Monopoly Game
A rare glimpse into the backroom dealings of 1887 Seattle, where coal and rail barons haggled over the city's infrastructure and the 'survival of the fittest'.
- The 'Tillicum' Plot to Scalp John B. Allen
Tacoma political operators allegedly plot a complex, backroom scheme to unseat Senator John B. Allen in favor of a coalition candidate.
- Tacoma’s Mayor Denounces City’s Partnership with Vice
Mayor Campbell vows to end the 'social evil' and clean up city hall, rejecting political backroom deals that traded tolerance for revenue.
- The Boss and the Mayor: Allegations of Graft in Walla Walla City Hall
The Evening Statesman launches a blistering campaign attack, accusing Mayor Hunt of illegal business dealings and cozy backroom deals with local bank executives.
- The Great Seattle Fire Hose Scandal of 1891
A fiery Board of Public Works meeting uncovers allegations of bribery, price-fixing, and backroom deals in the city's quest to equip its fire department.
- Gambling Dens Raided After Backroom Deal Goes Public
Mayor Ronald's 'reform administration' is forced to shut down four gambling houses after a secret protection scheme becomes a public scandal.
- The Asylum for Impecunious Politicians
A satirical look at the backroom deals, bribery, and state-level corruption behind the selection of a new government institution site in Yakima.
- The Senator Who Called a Race 'Hell on Wheels'
In the smoke-filled backroom of the Seattle Jockey Club in 1888, U.S. Senators discussed tariffs and whiskey while recounting a chaotic horse race where the crowd 'yelled like demons' and hats flew like confetti.
- Olympia's Backroom Bargain Over a Senate Seat
Lawmakers arrive in Olympia pledging to organize fast, but the fight over a U.S. Senate seat and the speakership is already reshaping the session.
- The State's First Great 'To-Do' List
Acting Governor Charles E. Laughton’s 1891 address to the legislature provides a rare, wide-angle snapshot of a young Washington State struggling to build its infrastructure, protect its forests, and define its civic identity.
- Secret Ballots and Backroom Deals: Ballard's First Council Meeting
A newly elected town council in Ballard descends into chaos and secrecy as they scramble to appoint city officials and slash municipal salaries.
- The Boss Who Wouldn't Be King
When Tacoma Democrats tried to draft a reluctant Tom Carroll for mayor, the local political machine collided with the city’s complex web of 'boys,' saloons, and backroom deals.
- Democratic Party Caucus Descends into Backroom Chaos
While Washington legislators bicker behind locked doors in Olympia, party infighting stalls the state’s business.
- The City Council’s Messy Printing Contract
A fiery session at City Hall erupts over a printing contract, with allegations of cronyism and backroom deals over the city's official records.
- The Political Shell Game in Spokane
Leaked telegrams expose how national committeeman Hugh C. Wallace manipulated job seekers to install his own favorite for U.S. Attorney, leaving honest candidates in the lurch.
Also about this, in other words
- The Backroom Shuffle: Seattle’s Underground Gambling Revival
As the century turns, whispers circulate through the city that the illicit gaming houses are preparing to reopen, fueled by rumors of local political complacency.
- Political Backroom Dealing in Spokane
Populist and Democratic party leaders meet in Spokane to orchestrate a fusion ticket, sidelining grassroots party members.
- A Backroom Coup in Montesano: County Democrats Oust Their Chairman
Party leaders declared every office vacant while F. D. Arnold was absent, then elected Edmund Croft to replace him.
- The Senatorial Backroom Deal
After his defeat in the race for the U.S. Senate, Judge George Turner reveals the 'combination' of political maneuvering and broken promises that cost him the seat.
- The Smoke-Filled Backroom Deals of 1886
A disgruntled contractor exposes the murky process behind the construction of public works in early Seattle, challenging the city's power brokers.
- The Art of the 'Back-Seat Sermon'
A Seattle preacher shares his cunning, slightly cynical strategy to force young couples in the back pews to stop courting and actually listen to the gospel.
- Political Backroom Deals in King County
The local press accuses power brokers of attempting to manipulate the Republican county convention to oust a sitting U.S. Senator.
- Books for the Common Good
An anonymous businessman donates $100 in gold to expand the Y.M.C.A. reading room for the working men of Seattle.