The Political Pressure Cooker in Olympia
Constituents turn on a Snohomish representative for 'faithlessness' in the ongoing deadlock over Washington's U.S. Senate seat.
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 substantial gain made by Senator Allen in today's balloting practically settled the senatorial light, and the dark horse talk has stopped. Strong Turner men admit that Allen's re-election is only a question of time. Unlike others who gave the excuse of personal preference, the members who went from Turner to Allen today based their action upon the principle of majority rule. The leaders of the opposition to Allen today fought desperately for delay, seeking to establish a rule to confine the voting for senator to one ballot daily. News of Representative C.T. Roscoe's faithlessness toward Hon. John B. Allen was received in Snohomish with surprise and consternation, later turning into severe censure. Citizens have sent circulars to Roscoe in Olympia branding him a traitor to his county's interests, demanding he return his vote to Allen.
“We learn with deep regret of your action in persistently ignoring the known wishes of the great majority of your Republican constituents.”
This 1893 deadlock illustrates the intense, often bitter, factionalism inherent in legislative maneuvering. Much like today's party-line pressures, Roscoe faced a 'recall-style' public shaming from his home district for breaking party ranks, showing that political accountability in Washington has long been an exercise in aggressive public correspondence.
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