The Coat That Became a Campaign Scandal
A Steilacoom merchant says Col. Wm. H. Wallace paid for the coat Warren Gore called stolen—and that the real target is the county's voters.
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.
To the Editor of the Puget Sound Herald:
In the last issue of the Pioneer and Democrat I notice a charge made by Warren Gore against Col. Wm. H. Wallace, of having dishonorably obtained a coat from a Kanaka, by some quirk of the law or otherwise; and knowing that the same was done to prejudice the voters of this county and the people generally against Col. Wallace, I feel it my duty here to state that the coat referred to by Warren Gore was purchased by me for Col. Wallace, and paid for; and furthermore, that he (Warren Gore) acknowledged payment of the same in my store, in presence of Wm. H. Kincaid and D. O. Stevens.
Mr. Gore further charges Col. Wallace with having given a discharge for the whole term of service to a member of his company who had not served but three days; and, having been told by a citizen of this place that I was the person alluded to, I here state that I never have received a discharge. Col. Wallace positively refused me a discharge on the ground that I did not serve my full term.
Peter Knox. Perry Farm, Pierce County, W.T., June 28, '59.
“the coat referred to by Warren Gore was purchased by me for Col. Wallace, and paid for”
In 1859, a candidate's character could turn on a coat, a store receipt, and the word of two witnesses. The episode shows how personal reputation functioned as political infrastructure in a small territorial town—and how quickly a private transaction became public ammunition.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.