The Political Betrayal of Seattle
At the 1892 State Democratic Convention, a coalition of Pierce County delegates and King County defectors successfully turned the party platform against Seattle's Lake Washington Ship Canal project.
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At the Democratic state convention in Olympia, a platform was adopted that singled out the Lake Washington ship canal for fierce condemnation, explicitly criticizing Senators John B. Allen and Watson C. Squire and Congressman John L. Wilson for their support. Pierce County led the anti-Seattle crusade, forming alliances with Eastern Washington delegates to beat back King County's desperate attempts to secure an endorsement for the project. King County delegates, facing near-total humiliation, saw their attempts at compromise rejected. James Hamilton Lewis, a key figure for the gubernatorial nomination, attempted to broker a deal but was forced to watch as the convention ultimately nominated H. J. Snively, effectively signaling the state party's hostility toward Seattle's expansion efforts.
“King county delegates, with sure defeat staring them in the face, at last united in loyalty to Seattle; threw away their cowardly compromise accepted the night before... But Pierce county was inexorable in her hostility.”
This 1892 political squabble highlights the long-standing tension between Seattle’s rapid infrastructure growth and the rest of Washington State. Today, the Lake Washington Ship Canal is a vital artery, but at the time, it was a battleground for regional identity and economic power.
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