A Backroom Coup in Montesano: County Democrats Oust Their Chairman
Party leaders declared every office vacant while F. D. Arnold was absent, then elected Edmund Croft to replace him.
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.
The Democratic county central committee met in Montesano on Saturday last, and audited and ordered paid what bills remained over from the late campaign. Much to the surprise of several of the Harbor members, a resolution was introduced declaring vacant all offices of the committee in order that a reorganization might be effected. The motion was carried, and the committee was reorganized by the election of Edmund Croft, chairman; S. B. Linn, treasurer; and W. J. Starr as secretary. The application of H. M. Sutton to be appointed register of the Olympia land office was approved by the committee. The reason given by one of the members of the committee for desiring a reorganization was that "they had it in" for Chairman F. D. Arnold and were going to get rid of him.
““They ‘had it in’ for Chairman F. D. Arnold and were going to get rid of him.””
Internal party purges and proxy fights are still a staple of local politics; the 1892 committee's move shows how personal grudges can be dressed up as reorganization. The episode also reminds us that county committees, not just voters, shape who gets appointed to land-office posts and other patronage jobs.
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