The Political Brawl for Tacoma’s Soul
After 214 ballots, a fractured city council finally elects a president, exposing a bitter web of accusations, bribery allegations, and 'anti-boodler' fervor.
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.
Tacoma, May 19. Harris, Republican, of the First ward, has been elected president of the city council after a deadlock that lasted for 214 ballots. The battle centered on the finance committee and the influence of the 'boodlers'—the corrupt political machine—versus those promising to restore the city's credit. The deadlock was broken when a coalition of Republicans and Democrats turned against Votaw, a candidate favored by the city’s established power structures. The session immediately devolved into a chaotic probe into bribery charges, with allegations that $500 had been offered for votes. Amidst the shouting and political theater, President Harris declared that the council should serve the city’s citizens rather than political interests, though his detractors are already skeptical of his promise to 'restore the city's credit.'
“Harris spoke when escorted to the chair. His opponents have said derisively 'Harris spoke' when he has entered debates, and now it is 'Harris Spoke' instead of Councilman Harris.”
The rhetoric of 'anti-boodlers' versus the political machine mirrors modern Seattle’s perennial struggles with campaign finance, interest groups, and the quest for civic transparency. The 214-ballot deadlock remains a classic example of the messy, high-stakes municipal brinkmanship that defined turn-of-the-century Washington politics.
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