The Machine That Wouldn't Start
Seattle Democrats outmaneuver an attempt by party insiders to hijack a fake non-partisan movement for their own political gain.
A political trick of the 'kids' was cleverly countered last night at a meeting of the Democratic Central Club in the Occidental block. The Democratic city committee is to meet today and a scheme had been concocted by the 'kids,' who are now shouting loudly under John Collins' banner, which was to have been sprung at the meeting. This was to have the Press-Times, owned by Mr. Collins, work up an apparent non-partisan, citizen's movement, which should be controlled in the interest of the Democrats. Home Democrats who do not train with Collins resolved to head off this scheme. Accordingly, unsigned type-written invitations were sent out to prominent members of the party, bidding them to attend a meeting in the Central Democratic Club rooms last night. One member after another denounced the scheme and very few had anything to say in its defense. The Collins-kid contingent went away disgusted at their failure.
“The Collins-kid contingent went away disgusted at their failure.”
The practice of using front organizations and 'astroturf' political campaigns to obscure partisan agendas has long been a staple of local civic power struggles. This 1894 incident in the Occidental block reflects the same tension present in modern Seattle, where interests often try to cloak partisan objectives under the banner of broad citizen-led reform.
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