The 1885 'Law and Order' Caucus
Seattle political organizers announce a formal gathering at Frye’s Opera House to nominate candidates for the municipal election.
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 Law and Order people of Seattle are requested to meet in Frye’s Opera House on Tuesday, June 30th, at 8:00 P.M., to nominate candidates for Mayor, Attorney, Chief of Police, and Assessor. Citizens are entitled to delegates as follows: First ward 11 delegates; Second ward 12; Third ward 13. By the Committee: W. H. Kneass, Chairman; Lieutenant L. Moore, Secretary; M. P. D. Brim, Clerk. Law and Order Central Committee.
“The Law and Order people of Seattle are requested to meet in Frye’s Opera House... to nominate candidates.”
Long before Seattle’s modern system of primary elections, local politics were often conducted through closed-door committee meetings and party-line 'Law and Order' slates. The struggle to balance 'order' with civic representation remains a persistent tension in Seattle's municipal governance today.
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