The Asylum for Impecunious Politicians
A satirical look at the backroom deals, bribery, and state-level corruption behind the selection of a new government institution site in Yakima.
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.
A group of commissioners meet to decide the location of an 'Asylum for Impecunious Politicians.' As they deliberate, the committee members—Houghton, White, Conover, and Jones—openly debate the merits of Hanlman versus Yakima, but their conversation quickly devolves into an admission of greed. It is revealed that the location of the institution is actually a vehicle for land speculation. Houghton, the chairman, confesses that a gold mine exists at the proposed Hanlman site, and if the asylum is placed there, the property will be transferred to the owners of the commission. When the dissenting Jones protests the lack of integrity, he is pressured into silence, with the group concluding that they have 'the business end of the argument' and the public can be ignored.
“The public should consider it as a coincidence merely. But, viewed even in the least favorable light, that of an exchange... it is considered by the owners of the mine a fair exchange, and a fair exchange, you know, is no robbery.”
This piece of 1891 political satire remains strikingly relevant as modern debates over land use, municipal development, and public-private partnerships often echo these same concerns regarding who benefits from government siting decisions. The 'nightmare' of backroom deals influencing infrastructure remains a familiar frustration for citizens tracking local government accountability.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.