The Political Primary of 1912
Everett voters head to the polls to narrow down candidates, with the 'wet or dry' saloon question looming over the civic contest.
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.
Last Tuesday was primary election day, folks. The Journal predicted that a big vote would be cast and we were not off in our prediction. The total registration was 6,202. The highest vote cast was 5,704. Up to 4 o'clock it looked as if the electorate didn't care very much who was nominated, but after that hour, the voters piled into the booths until the election officials had heart trouble taking care of them. Despite the assertion that the wet and dry battle did not enter into this campaign, it is apparent that the saloon question was a big factor in the primary contest. June 18 will settle the question. The men nominated are about of equal strength as far as character and ability are concerned. Any man of the six would undoubtedly give his whole time and energy to the administration of the city's affairs if elected. Personality of the candidates will enter largely into the final contest and, in the offing, rides that old issue of 'wet or dry.'
“Despite the assertion that the wet and dry battle did not enter into this campaign, it is apparent that the saloon question was a big factor.”
The tension between personal moral politics (the 'wet vs. dry' debate over saloons) and professional city governance remains a recurring theme in Washington politics. Everett's early 20th-century political machines were often defined by these cultural wedge issues, much like the polarized ballot initiatives seen today.
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