The Politics of Bread and Butter
South Tacoma Democrats rally to challenge the incumbent mayor's record on labor, utility rates, and public integrity in the 1904 municipal campaign.
At the Democratic meeting in Spicer’s Hall, South Tacoma, last night, Schuyler Usher, Democratic candidate for the city council from the Sixth ward, declared himself interested in the welfare of the workingman. He stated that he was in favor of good wages and the eight-hour day. Anderson, the next speaker, argued that the municipal election should be non-partisan, focusing on business propositions rather than national politics. He criticized Mayor Campbell’s claim to have reduced electric light rates, arguing that the city council forced the issue against the mayor's initial preferences. George P. Wright, the mayoral candidate, stood on a platform of progress, arguing that competition is the life of trade and pledging a business-like administration that would encourage growth and treat corporations fairly without granting special favors.
“A municipal campaign is not so much a matter of politics as a business proposition, for it deals with our daily business affairs and has its effect upon our home life.”
The 1904 debate over public utility rates and the proper role of city government in labor affairs remains a central theme in Tacoma politics. Today's residents continue to grapple with the same tension between municipal oversight of utilities and the desire for competitive, affordable public services.
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