Library Jewel #2: 1890 legislators’ signatures

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As House and Senate negotiators try to reach a compromise on the next two-year state operating budget, our second Library Jewel for June has a nice legislative tie-in from yesteryear: an autograph album that contains the signatures of the members of the 1st Legislature of Washington, 1890. The image above shows signatures of (top to bottom) state Reps. Joseph C. Painter of Touchet, Walla Walla County, Harry Hamilton of Conconully, Okanogan County, and Henry B. Day of Dayton, Columbia County. All three were Republicans. Two of the entries were dated March 26, 1890, two days before the first regular session ended that year. From the very informative book, History of the Legislature, 1854-1963:

"Washington had been moderately Republican since the Civil War and the first state election reflected this. All state-elected officials in 1889, were Republicans. In the Legislature there were: 34 Republicans and one Democrat in the Senate and 62 Republicans and eight Democrats in the House. The members ranged in age from 26 to 62. Only three (all in the House) had been born in the Territory. Thirty-one were veterans of the Civil War. By occupation, the largest single group were farmers followed by lawyers. While a large majority were Republicans, their political philosophy was wide-ranging and several later identified with the populist movement. In a departure from the normal experience the average age of the Senate members was younger than those in the House.”

For more information about legislative history, also take a look at State of Washington Members of the Legislature 1889-2014.