The Political Deadlock in Tacoma
A fractured city council faces a week of partisan infighting as factions refuse to form a quorum, paralyzing municipal business.
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 Republicans and Democrats who are opposed to the election of a president who avowedly favors an overhauling of the financial policy of the city were not present today at 10 a.m., the hour set by the Populists and two Republicans for an adjourned meeting of the city council. Councilman Harris was in consultation with Mayor Orr, and the council favored sending the chief of police after him. Harris furnished figures showing that his Republican colleague, Votaw, and the Populists represented more people than the other eight councilmen. Finally an adjournment was taken until 2 p.m., and the chief of police was notified to send word to the absentees, requesting their presence. But they did not come, and another adjournment was taken until 10 a.m. tomorrow. Citizens generally are growing very sick of the dilly-dallying proceedings of the council.
“Citizens generally are growing very sick of the dilly-dallying proceedings of the council.”
Public frustration with gridlocked city councils is a persistent theme in Puget Sound politics. This 1894 standoff highlights the long history of ideological warfare—specifically between Populist and Establishment factions—over the management of public funds.
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