Scandinavian Reformers Eye Municipal Power
A powerful local organization gathers in the Swedish Baptist Church to solidify their influence on the upcoming municipal election.
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 Scandinavian Social Reform Club of Tacoma, one of the strongest reform societies in the city, last night formally and unanimously endorsed the candidacy of Louis D. Campbell for mayor. The meeting last night was held in the Swedish Baptist Church. It was well attended and a spirited interest was taken in the meeting. Besides endorsing the present mayor for re-election, the society endorsed the following candidates for councilmen: Lars Larsen, independent candidate from the Third ward; E. H. Christofferson and Mr. Houghton, from the Fifth ward; Artis Richard, from the Seventh ward, and one other, whose name the president of the society did not know. The society will hold a mass meeting two weeks from last night, at which time there will be heard the reports of the several committees. The society has about 1,000 members. It was organized for the sole purpose of promoting social and municipal reform and the general welfare of its members. The society is not affiliated with any party or faction, but stands for purity in politics regardless of party lines.
“The society is not affiliated with any party or faction, but stands for purity in politics regardless of party lines.”
The Scandinavian community was a potent political force in early 20th-century Tacoma. Their efforts to organize around 'purity in politics' outside of the major parties echo the perennial desire of civic groups to clean up City Hall.
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