The Saloon Men's Secret Caucus: Liquor Money Picks a City Ticket
On the eve of Olympia's municipal election, the liquor dealers meet behind closed doors at Columbia Hall and settle on their candidates for council — and the Tribune names names.
The saloon keepers of this city made another bad break Saturday night. They sent out printed circulars to liquor dealers to attend a caucus which was held in Columbia hall. It was secret, like the recent meeting of the city council. It was decided to support John Miller Murphy, the saloon statesman, for councilman from the First ward, and Charles Grainger for councilman-at-large. Every citizen of Olympia entitled to vote should not fail to deposit his ballot tomorrow.
“It was secret, like the recent meeting of the city council.”
In December 1891 the city's liquor trade met in secret to slate a council ticket — an argument about who bankrolls local campaigns that runs straight through Washington's 1916 vote to go dry. Replace 'saloon keepers' with any modern industry and the complaint reads like this year's city council race.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.