The Political Brawl at the Territorial University
A scathing editorial from 1872 exposes a 'Klux clan' of government officials caught in a web of corruption, bribes, and public dishonesty.
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 organ of the 'Ring' at Olympia says: 'Yesterday afternoon a large number of the friends of General T. J. McKenny presented him, at his residence, with an elegant gold-headed cane.' This presentation was intended as a 'reward of merit' to McKenny for a ruffianly assault committed upon a man old enough for his father, in the presence of the wife of his victim. The 'friends' who joined in this demonstration in honor of a lawless act were almost exclusively of a class popularly known as 'pap-mongers' or 'spoils-gatherers.' These are the men who inaugurated the first Ku Klux clan in Washington Territory, organized to defend their dealings and intimidate exposure by Indian violence. The most infamous part of this disgraceful proceeding is that the Governor of the Territory leads the lawless band. Sworn to see the laws faithfully executed, he disregards his oath, tramples upon the civil laws that guarantee safety and protection to every citizen, and appears before the public as the avowed patron and supporter of lawlessness. Every citizen of the Territory is insulted, outraged, and disgraced by this contempt put upon them by those charged with the administration of their government.
“Every citizen of the Territory is insulted, outraged and disgraced by this contempt put upon them by those charged with the administration of their government.”
This 1872 editorial reflects a perennial struggle in Washington politics—the deep distrust of an entrenched 'establishment' or 'ring' prioritizing personal power over civic duty. Today’s debates over political accountability and transparency in Seattle echo these century-old concerns about who exactly is holding the levers of government power.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.