The Political Brawl of the Century
A fiery public feud between two prominent Populist leaders culminates in an arrest for libel after a scathing letter is read aloud to a Knights of Labor assembly.
J. E. Crawford, chairman of the People's party central committee of Kitsap county, was arrested yesterday morning on a warrant sworn out by Robert Bridges charging him with libel. Crawford, an ardent Populist, has been at odds with Bridges since the late city election, when it is claimed the latter defected to the Democrats. The tension exploded at the meeting of Local Assembly 3,413 of the Knights of Labor, where a letter from Crawford was read. In the letter, Crawford labeled Bridges and his associates 'political prostitutes' and 'a gang of depraved office-seekers.' Bridges alleged that the writing was intended to expose him to public hatred, contempt, and ridicule. After being arrested at the People's Call office in the Seattle National Bank building, Crawford remained defiant, stating: 'It's all political spite work. I will get out of this affair all right, and will keep Bridges from going to the legislature and from becoming a congressman.' Bridges retorted, 'He has opened upon me, and now he will have to pay for it.'
“I do not for one moment class the great true and noble men and women, who are true defenders of the principles of knighthood, among this gang of political prostitutes who hang to the chariot of R. Bridges.”
In 1892, Seattle politics were a volatile mix of labor organization and intense factional infighting. The 'People's Party'—the Populists—were a significant third-party force, and the rhetoric used here reflects the era’s deeply personal and vitriolic style of political accountability, echoing today's hyper-partisan climate where the line between political disagreement and defamation remains thin.
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