The Scandal of Character: Defending John McGraw
Prominent Seattle figures, including rivals and old neighbors, rally to defend gubernatorial candidate John H. McGraw against rumors of a shady past as a hotel proprietor.
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.
Judge Thomas Burke, a neighbor of John H. McGraw for sixteen years, stated, 'I have always regarded him as a generous and an honest man and a faithful and efficient officer.' D. H. Gilman remarked, 'I have known him well for nine years, and I know him to be a noble fellow, and no man can point to a blot on his life.' Jerome Catlin, who is active in local benevolence, recalled, 'I have had many occasions to ask McGraw for help in cases of distress and McGraw was always among the first to go. He never once turned away; he always put his hand in his pocket when asked for help.' Mrs. Wyckoff, widow of a former King County sheriff, shared similar sentiments, noting that McGraw never charged interest when her husband's affairs were in trouble. Despite the political heat of the 1892 campaign, witnesses from all walks of life—including local business owners and even political opponents—vouched for McGraw's honesty during his tenure at the American House and his service as sheriff.
“I believe in giving the devil his due. McGraw's a good man for this town, and as a financier I don't think there's a better one in the state.”
This 1892 article highlights the intense public scrutiny and 'smear campaigns' that characterized early Washington gubernatorial races, a tradition of negative campaigning that persists in modern Seattle politics. The reliance on 'character witnesses' to settle disputes over business ethics reflects a time when reputations were the primary currency in civic leadership.
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