The Deal That Broke a Senator: Allen's Surrender to King County
Ex-Governor Moore recounts the pressure campaign that turned Senator John B. Allen from his allies and toward the King County faction—an insider's tale of patronage, loyalty and betrayal in Washington's early state politics.
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.
Moore says: “During the time we were waiting for the proclamation of admission of the state, Allen told me that he did not want Squire for an associate, because neither he nor Wilson were his friends; that Wilson and Squire would unite to control federal patronage; that General Sprague was a good man for the position, and one who had always been his steadfast friend, and that his wish was to see him elected, although so far as he (Allen) himself was concerned, he must maintain a position of apparent neutrality. To accomplish this it was agreed that Allen’s friends should insist upon the presentation of his name for the first ballot. After the first ballot and his election, the plan was for an adjournment so as to give Allen an opportunity to use his personal influence with his friends in the legislature for the election of General Sprague. You know the ethics of politics permits confusion of enemies, although betrayal of friends is a political crime.
Everything proceeded smoothly along this line until the Monday afternoon preceding the ballot, when the King County delegation, having suspected the true situation of affairs, sent a Seattle man to Mr. Allen to demand acquiescence in the election of Squire. Allen came to my room somewhat rattled and said that the King County people were bringing great pressure to bear on him to consent to Squire’s election; that ‘they had offered him the long term and the entire patronage if he would consent.’ I replied to Mr. Allen: ‘I can only say what my course would be under similar conditions. The stake is a great one. Your hour of trial has come as it comes to all men. If you stay with your friends and win, as you surely will win, your political future is assured; if you surrender to your political enemies, your success will be short-lived. The King County members are not your friends while the friends of General Sprague and the Pierce County delegation have been first and last your steadfast, loyal and enthusiastic supporters.’ Mr. Allen left my room and returned to the Seattle man, and, it is my belief, surrendered. That was the last of our friendly conference, and from that time he avoided me.”
“You know the ethics of politics permits confusion of enemies, although betrayal of friends is a political crime.”
Washington had only just become a state in 1889, and its legislature still elected U.S. senators—making patronage and personal loyalty the coin of the realm. Moore’s account is a reminder that backroom deals and outside pressure on elected officials are as old as the state itself.
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