The Great State Flower Feud
A public spat erupts between Washington women over whether the clover or the rhododendron should represent the state.
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.
In a communication to your paper dated June 11, Mrs. Houghton says: 'Mrs. Higginson charges that I am working hard against the clover and for the rhododendron. This statement is neither true nor generous.' As I had no intention of being untruthful or ungenerous, I beg that you will allow me space in which to give my authority for my 'charge.' If they can be called by so harsh a name. My idea of fairness is that a lady holding Mrs. Houghton's position and having the votes sent to her to count, should have remained neutral and not tried to influence the vote of any town or person.
“My idea of fairness is that a lady holding Mrs. Houghton's position and having the votes sent to her to count, should have remained neutral.”
This spirited debate over state symbolism highlights how civic identity was constructed through public participation—or, as the author felt, manipulation—in the late 19th century. It mirrors modern debates over regional branding and the politics of how we define our shared heritage.
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