The Battle for an 'Open' or 'Closed' Tacoma
Democratic mayoral candidate George I. Wright disputes the paper's characterization of his platform as he addresses citizens at a local meeting.
Democratic speakers addressed the citizens of the Third ward last evening in the Keystone building, at the corner of Yakima Avenue and South 10th Street. George I. Wright was the first speaker, followed by E. L. Hiberly and J. T. Eshelman. Wright began by reading an editorial from The Tacoma Times titled 'The One Issue Before the People,' which claimed Mayor Campbell stood for a 'closed town' and Wright for an 'open town.' Wright denied authorizing this characterization and criticized the paper for making assumptions about his platform. He argued that the mayor's focus on gambling and slot machines was merely claiming credit for enforcing existing state laws. Other speakers suggested the focus on the 'open/closed' issue was intended to distract voters from the tax question.
“The mayor and his speakers have denounced gambling and slot machines, and the mayor is merely assuming credit for doing away with things which the state laws abolished.”
The 'open' vs. 'closed' town debate was a proxy for the moral regulation of Tacoma's nightlife and vice. Today, this resonates in modern civic debates over urban zoning, policing, and how much a city government should intervene in the 'character' of its neighborhoods.
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