The Price of a Vote: Bribery and Betrayal in the Legislature
F.J. Grant defends himself against allegations of attempting to bribe state legislators, accusing political rivals of forgery and perjury.
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 response to affidavits published by the Tacoma News alleging he attempted to bribe legislators to influence a senatorial election, F.J. Grant issued a statement. Grant denies receiving money from Senator John B. Allen for political purposes, stating he only provided personal loans to F.E. Madigan. Grant claims his personal correspondence was garbled and forged to paint his actions as bribery. He labels his accusers, Bradley and McCracken, as perjurers who accepted money from the Democratic state central committee to betray their friends. Grant challenges the News to produce his original letters, claiming they would prove his innocence of any corrupt intent.
“These men have bribed a man to betray his friend.”
This reflects the often-murky intersection of private finance and public influence in the state’s early days. Accusations of money 'carousing in the slums' served as a potent tool to frame opponents as lacking the moral standing required for legislative power.
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