Was Tacoma's Mayor a Foreign Subject?
A persistent rumor claiming Mayor George P. Wright never completed his naturalization caused a stir among the city's political and gambling circles.
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.
For some days, rumors spread that Mayor George P. Wright was still a British subject, having failed to secure his second citizenship papers despite being a Canadian by birth. The gambling fraternity, worried about his potential removal from office, followed the story closely. An investigation of the Third ward registration books revealed the mayor had noted 'Voter in territory,' a reference to territorial-era laws that allowed aliens who had declared intent to become citizens to vote. While three lawyers consulted by the press suggested that his status as a voter might remain valid, the city charter required the mayor to be a naturalized citizen of the United States. When confronted, Mayor Wright dismissed the rumors, declaring, 'Let them go. I don't care, it's nobody's particular business.'
“Let them go. I don't care, it's nobody's particular business, so far as I can see. Why don't you spread it in scare type clear across your front page?”
This story highlights the volatile nature of early 20th-century civic identity, where the definition of who qualified as a 'citizen' was often weaponized by political rivals to challenge authority. Today, similar battles over who belongs and who is entitled to the franchise continue to shape the political discourse in the Pacific Northwest.
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