Squire Arrives in Olympia as Senate Fight Heats Up
As Senator Watson Squire arrives to secure his reelection, the halls of the state capital are buzzing with political maneuvering, railroad regulation debates, and the lingering shadow of the Wounded Knee massacre.
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.
Olympia, Jan 6. Senator Squire arrived from Washington City this morning to find the senatorial fight all one way. If the election were to occur tomorrow there is no manner of doubt that he would be chosen in open session on the first ballot. The election, however, does not occur for two weeks, and the Calkins faction has outlined a vigorous campaign for the interim in hopes of making inroads into the Squire lines. Thomas Ewing, of West Seattle, has openly enlisted with the Calkins forces, and now poses as the Tacoma man's chief striker. He declares in the most ornamental language that Squire is a 'dead duck,' and Calkins is sure of election. A very strong effort will be made at this session to secure effective railroad regulation, the members from Eastern Washington being practically unanimous in the expression that freights and fares should be under state control. The late wheat blockade aroused strong and indignant public sentiment on the question. A large lobby from the Farmers' Alliance will be on the ground to urge upon the legislature the great necessity of restrictive legislation.
“Thomas Ewing, of West Seattle, has openly enlisted with the Calkins forces, and now poses as the Tacoma man's chief striker. He declares in the most ornamental language that Squire is a 'dead duck.'”
The 1891 struggle over railroad regulation and political loyalty in the state legislature mirrors modern-day debates over corporate influence in Olympia and the persistent, regional tension between urban Seattle and the rural agricultural districts of Eastern Washington.
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