The Saloon Vote and the Clean-Up of 1887
A wave of reform hits Seattle’s city government as voters turn out the old guard, citing the corrupting influence of the 'saloon element' in local politics.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The municipal election is, we are happy to state, a triumph for the Citizens' ticket. Dr. Minor is elected mayor by a good majority, and Mr. Gilman is elected city attorney. The citizens also elected their candidates for councilmen in four of the wards. The city council will accordingly stand completely in hands. Mr. Mitchell, the Citizens' candidate for Chief of Police, was defeated by Mr. Murphy, the present incumbent. Two things contributed to this unfortunate result: the first was the candidacy of A. H. McCurdy, which cut largely into the vote for Mitchell; the second was the fact that the saloon element supported Murphy with a unanimity that was marvelous. Early in the day it became evident that, in addition to the ordinary vote against him, Mr. Mitchell would be opposed by all who could be controlled by the saloons. The Second and Third wards gave majorities, and in the Fourth ward he ran slightly ahead of his ticket, but the majority piled up against him in the First ward was too great to be overcome. Upon the election of Dr. Minor and Mr. Gilman the city is to be congratulated. The result must be regarded as the personal emancipation of local politics which has been so noticeable for the past year. The Citizens' organization was a protest against that unscrupulous manipulation, and its success is an assurance that during the coming year our municipal government will be conducted for the benefit of all the people, and not for that of a faction.
“Early in the day it became evident that, in addition to the ordinary vote against him, Mr. Mitchell would be opposed by all who could be controlled by the saloons.”
This 1887 election report highlights a long-standing tension in Seattle’s political history: the struggle between organized 'citizens' movements' and the influence of entrenched interest groups. Just as 19th-century residents debated the power of saloon owners over police appointments, today's voters continue to grapple with the role of concentrated money and special interests in city hall decision-making.
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