The Senatorial Duel: A Tale of Two Cities and One Beltway Seat
As the Washington legislature prepares to convene in 1891, the race for the U.S. Senate descends into a fierce local rivalry between established incumbent Watson C. Squire of Seattle and the ambitious newcomer Judge William H. Calkins of Tacoma.
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 legislature will meet at Olympia on Wednesday next, the 7th inst., and one week from the following Tuesday, the 20th inst., will ballot for a successor to the Hon. Watson C. Squire, whose term expires on the 4th of March. For some weeks past, public interest has centered on this event. By common consent, it is settled that the senator must come from the west of the Cascade mountains. While there are many men eminently qualified for the senatorship, only two names have been prominently mentioned: Senator Watson C. Squire of King County and Judge William H. Calkins of Pierce. It would be scarcely possible to name two men more dissimilar. Mr. Squire has been a resident for thirteen years, deeply involved in the material and political affairs of the state. He served as governor during the territorial era and is widely credited with securing railroad communication and promoting the resources of the region. Judge Calkins, on the other hand, is a very new man, having been a resident for only about two years. He came to Washington from a state where his political ambitions had been balked. He stands simply and alone as the candidate of Tacoma, supported by the personal, corporate, and political interests of that city. The Post-Intelligencer believes the logic of the situation calls for the re-election of Senator Squire, viewing the election of Judge Calkins as the advancement of a political adventurer.
“It is the advancement of a political adventurer, and a stranger to our interests.”
The 1891 rivalry between Seattle and Tacoma for political dominance echoes the long-standing regional competition for infrastructure and legislative attention in Washington State. Just as these papers framed local candidates through the lens of 'outsider' versus 'insider,' modern civic discourse continues to wrestle with the influence of corporate interests and concentrated power in state politics.
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