"We are trying to fit a modern industrial epoch and civilization into the clothes of a political system that was ample only for a very primitive time," so said the erratic John F. McKay, the last of the straight-out Socialist Party Ungovernors in his two runs for the office. He started his political journey as an elected Democrat, joined the Socialist Party during a low ebb in the history of that group, and then finished by returning to the Democratic Party. Unpredictable and newsworthy if reporters were paying attention, McKay gained a reputation in the Spokane area as a perennial candidate-- in fact he died while running for office. He had a curious political career that only occasionally gained attention from the press of the day, so all we really have are odd checkpoints of random data in which to form a portrait.

John Francis McKay was born Nov. 10, 1884 in Peterson, Iowa to John and Ann (McGowan) McKay. His father was a native of Scotland, his mother from Ireland. At some point before 1900, the McKays moved to Montana, where John Sr. was a section foreman for the Northern Pacific Railway.

It would appear by the turn of the century McKay was out on his own in Anaconda, Montana, aged 16. Like his father he eventually found work on the railroad. He married Christie May Jan. 12, 1908, and they settled in Sanders County, Mont. on the border of northern Idaho. John and Christie would have 11 children.

McKay began his political life when he was elected Sanders County Clerk and Recorder in 1916. During his tenure there was apparently some dispute concerning the location of the county seat. In 1918 he was elected to the Montana State Senate as a Democrat, where he served until 1922. In 1919 he was accused along with other legislators by the Helena Independent (Jan. 19) of meeting in secret caucus with Non-Partisan League radicals to get his marching orders for the next day's activities on the floor of the Senate. The Independent huffed, "Watch these men. If they have entered into such a conspiracy they are beneath recognition by decent people." Apparently the Non-Partisan League was not a popular organization with the editor.

It would appear that the Montana Legislature had passed a local version of the "Espionage Act of 1917," i.e., a free ticket to suspend the Constitution in order to go after political enemies. McKay had at first strongly opposed it, but then did something strange. In some ways he anticipated the laws of Century 21. Here it is reported in the Helena Independent, Jan. 12, 1921:

Sabotage Bill by McKay Is Most Weird Measure

"Senator John McKay of Sanders county once was rather hostile to the criminal syndicalism act passed by the Sixteenth assembly but the more he looked over the law, the more he thinks of it, so he proposes now to repeal it and through a bill which he will introduce, probably today, he would put on the statute books a law that would make the one now there, look like mixed change for thirty of Lenine's Russian rubles."

"Senator McKay's bill defines criminal syndicalism and sabotage in a way that would include pretty nearly everybody who happened to try and play a political trick or to break up a meeting by suggestion either by word of mouth or by publication. If this bill becomes a law-- and he hopes it will-- the Montanan who fails to walk the straight and narrow path during political campaigns or industrial troubles or economic upheavals, will be joined both by fines and imprisonment until he will wish he had never heard of sabotage."

Tough for All Classes

"An I.W.W. who could get by in this state, would be more artful than Bill Haywood, the single-eyed leader of the clan, ever dreamed of being. As for an ordinary citizen, who is opposed to the Wobblies, well, he would have as much trouble keeping out of jail as the most virulent 'sob-cat' now in captivity."

"McKay says he jotted down a few ideas on the subject a few years ago and a friend named Wallace of Missoula county, has drawn the present bill according to plans and specifications."

"In brief, leaving out as far as possible, the legal phraseology, criminal syndication is defined to apply to any group who advocates the crime of sabotage, violence, unlawful acts as a means of promoting or defeating a political, economic, industrial or other organized movements or reforms or who teaches sabotage or violence or unlawful means of terrorism whereby any person or group may exercise undue or unlawful advantage or profit."

"Sabotage includes any willful, wanton or malicious act of destruction or attempt at destruction of property, any acts of bodily injury or threats of bodily injury to a person for the purpose of intimidating or coercing others into yielding to any demand made; any trick or artifice or plan of deception whereby the public is deceived into purchasing commodities, clothing or food or the use of organized force or power in political, industrial or economic means calculated to defraud, cheat, oppress or damage anthing or anybody."

Penalties Are Stiff

"Any person or group who by writing or otherwise makes use of sabotage to accomplish anything or if he prints or edits or circulates any book, newspaper, document or teaches criminal syndicalism, or justifies publicly or comments favorably on sabotage, or if he organizes or joins any organization to teach sabotage he may be given ten years in the penitentiary and a fine of $5000 or both."

"When two or more meet and talk or teach criminal syndicalism, as defined by McKay, similar penalties are imposed."

"Lastly is the owner, agent, superintendent, janitor or caretaker of any building or room or property of any kind who knowingly permits any meeting of the character described, after he has been notified of the nature of the gang infesting the place, he may be arrested for a misdemeanor and fined as much as $500 and given not to exceed six weeks in jail."

After Them All

"What Senator McKay is getting at, among other things, is to make it difficult for anybody to break up any kind of public meeting, whether of Wobblies or Worshippers of the Capitalistic System, or to coerce anybody into voting for any political party or any candidate by threatening him economically, financially, industrially or otherwise. Also he wants to 'get' the person who chuckles over any act of a vigilance committee or any other organization not duly organized by law."

"He covers quite a lot of territory and he admits his bill will probably encounter rough sledding."

In 1922 he gave up his State Senate seat in order to run for U.S. Congress as a Democrat. And he didn't get too far. This would be the last time he ran as Dem until 1940. The Helena Daily Independent reported on his 1922 run, "McKay says he believes the public is strong for change right now and leans to radical remedies. He has some he would like to try on this slick old world and for that reason expects to be the nominee ..."

During the 1920s McKay got into the newspaper game. Around 1922 he was editor of the Whitefish Workman. Later he published the Great Falls Town Topics and Sanders County Independent-Leader.

Exactly how and why he left the Democratic Party and joined the Socialist Party is something of a mystery to this researcher. Something happened between 1922 and 1924, for in the latter year he was the Socialist Party candidate for U.S. Congress and placed a very dismal third with only 909 votes (1.32%) In 1930 he placed 4th in a 5-man race as a Socialist (1,006 votes (0.57%)) for the U.S. Senate against icon Thomas Walsh.

By now the Depression was in full swing. And for whatever reason, McKay moved to Spokane by 1932 where he started a sawmill.

After the death of Emil Herman in 1928, Washington's Socialist Party sort of hobbled along. The Espionage Act of 1917 really gutted the party. McKay's decision to change allegiance from the Democrats to the Socialists seemed unusual. 1932 was the year the Dems swept the state, yet McKay stood back. Instead he chose to join a political party that was on life support while Roosevelt's Democrats stole many of the Socialist Party's policies and perspectives.

Still, newly arrived in Spokane, he was able to make a name for himself right away. Sometime in the early spring of 1932 he slapped Spokane City Councilman Hendricks in circumstances not clear, and was put on a 90-day suspended sentence. Then, while still under this probation, he was the only person arrested during a Socialist parade of 2500 to 3000 in Spokane on May 15, 1932.

The Spokesman-Review described the arrest: "Near the head of the parade marched John F. McKay, one of the leaders of the party in Spokane. He carried a large plain red cloth flag. At the corner of Main and Washington, Detectives Ralstin, Akers and Hudson stepped into the parade and arrested McKay, who made no resistance. Marchers in the parade paid no attention, several of them shouting: 'It is only a test case anyway.' McKay was taken in a car to the police station, where he was booked for carrying a red flag in a parade and his bond was set at $50, which was furnished three hours later. The police made no attempt to stop other flag carriers."

The newspaper also noted "the paraders were exceptionally quiet, and so were the onlookers." In addition it was noted the number of female marchers was almost equal to that of the men. The event concluded with speeches at Glover Field, where John F. McKay was hailed as a Socialist hero.

Within a few days of his arrest, McKay was in Sacred Heart Hospital (birthplace of yours truly) "recovering from the effects of a major operation," according to The Vanguard, Spokane's Socialist newspaper. Due to his medical condition he was unable to attend the National Convention held in Milwaukee, where his name would be placed in nomination for President by his local supporters.

But instead of running for President, McKay was nominated as the Socialist candidate for Governor. But he was ignored by the press. All the excitement was centered on the Democrats, who were poised to take over Olympia after decades in the political wilderness. With the exception of moderate gubernatorial candidate Clarence Martin, most of the other Dems such as Homer T. Bone and Marion Zioncheck held political views not much different than McKay.

McKay spelled out his views in the June 24, 1932 issue of The Vanguard in a piece entitled "What is Wrong With America?" The copy I am working from was ripped right down the middle and badly repaired, so bear with me through the rough patches:

"America has evolved from a political to an industrial state and unless we recognize this fact it is going to be impossible to proceed with any program of reconstruction. To think in terms of political reform at an hour when science is begging us to open the door that she may enter and solve our problems, is quakery hardly worthy of contempt. To talk of returning to Free Silver, currency reforms, judicial adjustments, hand labor and the like are unthinkable."

"The platform adopted by the Socialist Party at their Yakima Convention proposing to give to the farmer full control of the agricultural industry is the thing the farmer has been searching for through all sorts of organizations. What the farmer needs is system of production that will square with modern industrial experience and practice. How can he live under a law of supply and demand and unregualted competition when all other forces are organized against him?"

"What does a merchant most need? Control of the forces that control him, of course. If the development of the chain stores and [system?] merchandising has not convinced him that he must organize himself and get control of distribution he is sunk. If he cannot convince himself that he had better increase his compensation, shorten his hours, entrench himself in security by controlling the process, he will continue to run a losing race with the sheriff and bankruptcy."

"Go to the lumber industry, the mining industry, in fact the whole industrial system and you will find out what is wrong. We are trying to fit a modern industrial epoch and civilization into the clothes of a political system that was ample only for a very primitive time."

"It is becoming a social law that those groups in society that have learned to cooperate can survive and the failure of our system is manifesting every day that, unless we can coordinate our activities and square ourselves to the economic facts that surround us, we cannot go forward. Nay, we cannot even continue to exist under this system."

"When we are able to sweep away the cobwebs of established habit and custom, overcome the taboos, desires for compromise; common sense and logic force but one conclusion, that nothing short of a fundamental and radical program can meet this situation. Many years of political experience rounded out by four years in the chief lawmaking body of a state taught the writer how far off track the people were in search for a remedy."

"When County Attorney Greenough admitted with us in the Public Forum of this city that the law books ought to be destroyed, he only supported that which was necessary in the past, as was the case in Rome and Athens, where the leaders finally decided that the only way out was to clean the slate, and build a law system in harmony with the facts of experience."

"It is not a vain statement or a catch-phrase to say that we have progressed in spite of our law system. Such agencies as the labor union, the farmer union, the merchant association, the chamber of commerce, thus far useful have now reached a point where they can no longer resist the tendency of the system."

"The things they are now trying to do, can only be done, when we reorganize ourselves along the lines of industrial control and collective ownership. The loss of 180 billions of capital through shrinkage of value, the 15,000,000 unemployed are two items that should open the eyes of the simplest dreamer. To shout radical in the face of of the most manifest truth, brands the shouter as mere brainless animal incapable of reasoning."

"May we reduce this seemingly obscure point to words that he who runs may understand. What would we think of an automobile mechanic who would attempt to run a modern eight-cylindered automobile with an ignition system fitted to a single-cylindered engine of 30 years ago? What can we think of politicans who will attempt to run a modern industrial state with a political system developed to meet the needs of of a crude civilization? Such are the democrats and republicans. Men who have gained leadership by compromising every vital issue, betraying every principle of statesmanship. Good husbands and fathers, successful millers or merchants, high class criminal lawyers beg the people to permit to draw salaries that should go to social and political students; to men who have equipped themselves by study and experience for the responsibilities of executive and legislative office.

"If the writer of this article must beg for support because he is the father of 9 children, a successful miller, farmer, logger, or what not, a good husband or a member of the Chamber of the Commerce, or belongs to some favorite lodge or fraternity drop us from the race before we start. What America needs now is men who are prepared to champion principles and programs and are able and willing to discuss these before an intelligent electorate."

McKay's campaign appears to have consisted of written essays for The Vanguard, although he did make the rounds as a speaker. One of the few non-Spokane speeches I found came from a mention in the Chehalis Bee-Nugget, Sept. 2, 1932: "John F. McKay, socialist candidate for governor, addressed a fair sized audience at a street meeting at Market and Boistfort Wednesday evening. He is a pleasing speaker and those who heard him were well entertained."

The results of the 1932 gubernatorial race were not all that stellar for the Socialists. McKay finished 4th out of 7 with 9,987 votes (1.63%). Almost half of his votes came from King County. Spokane County gave him a whopping 1617 votes, almost 4 times the total of the other third parties combined in that jurisdiction.

In 1934 McKay ran for the U.S. Senate against fellow Spokane resident and Democrat Lewis Baxter Schwellenbach. Also in the race was 1932 Socialist Labor Ungovernor Edward Kriz. As the conservative Centralia Daily Chronicle observed (Sept. 18, 1934): "Nominee McKay will find that Nominee Schwellenbach of the democratic party is planning on stealing most of his thunder, as the latter has already intimated during his primary campaign that he favors the Upton Sinclair program of the 'EPIC' plan, already spoken of in radical circles of Communists as 'Easy Pickings in California.'"

The editorial goes on to describe the Equality Colony, which served as the springboard for the early Washington State Socialist Ungovernors: "The democratic candidate will adopt most of the program of the socialist party, if there is any indication that such a policy will win votes. He has already been closely associated with the EPIW program of the commonwealth group, which, in turn, has adopted the Sinclair program for this state. Some of the older settlers in the Skagit valley, around Bow, will recall, if they stop to think for a moment, that the Sinclair EPIC was tried out in this state many years ago and finally wound up in the superior court of that county. In 1896, the same identical program now advanced by Sinclair for California was tried out by the socialist party, with this exception: the settlers or colonists of the Skagit county movement, which had its headquarters in New York required that each member have not less than $160, which was donated to the colony. Sinclair wants the state to do the donating. The Skagit county colony planned to ultimately seize the state and from the state treasury issue flat currency, to repay the early donations and then carry on. Sinclair will issue the money at once if he cannot obtain it from the federal government. After the shingle mill of the colony was burned and the colonists became embittered following their financial losses, the entire scheme blew up. Incidentally the EPIC plan of Sinclair, based upon the theory of co-operative management, even when financed by the state, will ultimately blow up, with this difference: In Skagit county the colonists lost their all; in California, the general taxpayers of the state, if there are any left, will hold the sack."

In the 1934 Senate race McKay finished 4th out of 8 candidates with 7,192 votes (1.45%). Once again his home county gave him a good turnout.

He made an unsuccessful run for City Commissioner in 1935, and in 1936 was nominated for a second try at the Governorship. The big parties had a rematch of Martin and former Gov. Hartley. The Democratic incumbent enjoyed a landslide victory of almost 70% of the vote. None of the six 3rd party candidates cracked 1%. Of the eight on the ballot, McKay placed 4th with 4,221 votes (0.63%). He continued to do well in King and Spokane counties, relatively speaking.

In 1938 he began the first of at least five attempts to be elected to U.S. Congress for the 5th District (Spokane). His Montana campaigns in the 1920s combined with Washington add up to no less than 7 Congressional runs. In 1938 he ran as an "Independent Socialist." The very name suggests he was on his own, but in fact he was nominated by convention. The AP reported on Sept. 14: "The independent socialist party of Washington nominated John F. McKay , of Spokane ... Approximately 50 members of the party met in convention in the All Workers' union hall to nominate McKay and draw up a two-plank platform, including increased relief for unemployed and public ownership of industry. No other candidates were nominated."

It was another race, another crushing defeat. Democratic incumbent Rep. Charles Henry Leavy easily sailed to victory. McKay placed third and last with 849 votes (0.92%). This was his final race as a Socialist.

The steam had gone out of the Socialist Party in Washington State. Their last gubernatorial candidate was McKay in 1936. In 1940 he returned to the Democratic Party and promptly lost the primary for the office of Spokane County Commissioner. But he wasn't giving up.

Republican Walter Horan was now the congressman in the 5th District. He would eventually be defeated in 1964 by Tom Foley, who later served as Speaker of the House. But in the meantime the Democrats lined up to be sacrificial election lambs against this entrenched incumbent. McKay ran without success in the primaries of 1944 and 1946. But something amazing happened in 1948. He won the primary and became the Democratic candidate in the general election.

There are some odd things about McKay and the 1948 election. First, given his background, one would assume he would be attracted to Henry Wallace's Progressive Party. Maybe he was just tired of Quixotic organizations. Also, even though he had a solid record as pro-labor, he never received the endorsement of the unions in the primaries. But after he won the 1948 primary, the unions did throw their support behind him.

The Labor World, a Spokane newspaper, ran a McKay piece on Oct. 15, 1948. It is accompanied by a photo. In the past many Socialists had been hassled and beat up on the campaign trail. If I'm reading this photo correctly, no one would consider such an action against Mr. McKay unless they wanted their clock cleaned. Here is John F. McKay in his own words, in some respects far ahead of his era:

"How anyone who has lived long enough to remember the situation that prevailed the last days of the Hoover administration, can possibly want the return of such a situation at this time is beyond my comprehension. I can conceive of many things that might be infinitely better than they are at this moment but when one remembers that the same people who are backing Dewey, Warren and Horan are exactly the same folks and the same anti-social forces that backed Hoover, how can they surrender their government to the gang that have a proven record of intellectual bankruptcy?"

"When they speak of their Free Enterprise System, will any reasonable man dare to deny that Free Enterprise has been living on relief, war and Public Enterprise for the last 20 years? What would happen to Spokane, if the powers behind the Republican administration should suddenly undertake to 'put labor in it's place' by putting six or ten millions of workers in the breadline or on relief? Don't forget for one moment they say they would not do it or that they could not do it for they have done it before many times."

"The only thing that has stood between the people and the powers of wealth and privilege in completely dominating the situation is a friendly government with a will and desire to solve some of the economic contradictions inherent in a system that by it's nature says to the worker 'The Harder You Work, the Less You Get'; to the farmer, 'the more you produce, the less you receive;' and to the whole people; 'When you have a produced abundance you starve.'"

"Shout as you may about the folly of the New Deal with all of its inefficiency, it did efficiently save a lot of people who are now attacking the very source of every penny of their present wealth. The late Franklin Delano Roosevelt might be said to be the father of the present Republican party for it was he who provided the prosperity with which they are ridiculing his works."

"It is a mockery for the Republican party to boast of it's progressivism when they are collaborating with the Dixiecrats in the attempt to steal a few electoral votes and thus attempt to win the election. Only blind fanaticism can follow the Third Party organized for the sole purpose of throwing the election to reaction in a vain hope that they may be the receivers of the Democratic party having sold their own people down river."

"There is one thing that no working man can forget, that Harry Truman vetoed the Taft-Hartley measure and in so doing defied the 'Powers that Prey' on the issue of extending civil rights to the disenfranchised, he took the boldest step in progress since Lincoln. Sure Dewey can boast that he gave New York similar legislation, but there is a lot of difference in placing the law on the statute books where a very high degree of tolerance already existed and going into the deep south where the colored people were in many respects worse off than during slavery days."

"The state administration has been completely friendly to labor and men genuinely friendly with labor or who are a part of labor itself have occupied posts of vital importance."

"I have too much confidence in the intelligence of the worker to believe he is going to be humbugged into selling himself 'down river.'"

Harry Truman pulled an upset victory in 1948, but John McKay did not. Still, he didn't do too badly. He garnered 56,343 votes (45.40%).

During the next few years McKay worked as a yard clerk in Hillyard for the Great Northern Railway. In 1954, in spite of recovering from an abdominal surgery, McKay placed his name in the primary election for Congress. But on Aug. 25 he died as the result of stroke at age 69. It was too late to remove his name from the ballots. Even so, he still gained 6501 votes in the 1954 primary, about 20%.