Battle for the Soul of Tacoma’s City Hall
Republican and Democratic mayoral candidates trade sharp accusations of corruption, ring rule, and financial mismanagement in final campaign rallies.
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.
Four hundred people gathered at the Tacoma Theater to hear Republican arguments. Mayor Campbell, running for re-election, defended his administration, urging citizens to keep experienced men in office. He accused the local press—specifically the News and Ledger—of charging excessive fees for city advertising, noting the city saved significant funds by switching to The Tacoma Times. Across town at Germania Hall, roughly three hundred Democrats rallied for challenger George P. Wright. Wright promised fairness toward corporations and labor, while his supporters decried the incumbent as a 'one-man' power broker. The campaigns were marked by fierce debate over city contracts, potential graft, and the influence of 'ring rule' in municipal government.
“The mayor of a city has to deal with the sharpest, shrewdest men that can be found. The mayor has to fight battles against these men. It invariably causes a great deal of turmoil, but I tell you turmoil is what you want.”
The 1904 campaign highlights a recurring theme in Tacoma’s political history: the fight against special interests and the cost of public services. Just as the candidates debated the fairness of city contracts and advertising rates then, modern Tacoma continues to grapple with the transparency of government procurement and the influence of political machines.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.