Jim Kershner’s This day in history

From our archives, 100 years ago

The Spokesman-Review had been touting the candidacy of Spokane’s Miles Poindexter for U.S. Senate for months – and on the day of the primary election, the Poindexter frenzy hit a peak.

“Storms of Cheers Greet Poindexter in Final Rally – Auditorium Theater Is Crowded to the Doors and Many Are Turned Away,” shouted a front page headline.

Poindexter was a Republican and a leader of the Progressive movement. Four parties of women occupied the auditorium’s boxes. They couldn’t vote, but women’s suffrage was a key Progressive issue.

Poindexter was running on an anti-special-interest platform. He accused his opponents of being funded and controlled by the railroad, oil and mining trusts.

The Spokesman-Review’s editorial on election day said, “A vote for Poindexter is a vote for the people, for progress and reform, for the policies of Roosevelt.”

As it turned out, he won the Republican primary in a landslide, which virtually assured a final victory in the Washington State Legislature (in those days, senators were still voted into office by state legislatures).

He served until 1923.

Also on this date

(From the Associated Press)

1788: The Congress of the Confederation authorized the first national election, and declared New York City the temporary national capital. … 1970: The first New York City Marathon was held.