George Ellsworth Boomer was a Washington State socialist who really deserves a full biography, and my little profile will not do justice to this interesting character who was far ahead of his time. Although his run for Washington State Governor was a century ago, there is much about his story that seems familiar and universal today. In reading about his zeal one is struck by the parallels with religious missionaries, an observation that would have no doubt upset Boomer. Yet even other socialists made note of this.

In IWW jargon a "Boomer" was someone who was a wanderer, who followed boomtowns and good times. George sort of fit that description in terms of seeking a place in the world where he thought opportunity was ripe for his cause.

Boomer was born in Lewiston, Maine Nov. 28, 1862. "Slight and frail," wrote Harvey O'Connor, "he was the son of cotton mill workers .. At the age of 12 he went to work in the mill, at 65 cents for a 12 1/4-hour day. As required by law, he attended school three months a year. He became a newsboy and then a printer in Providence, Rhode Island." His mill worker experience shaped his world view.

A 1913 Commonwealth (Everett, Wash.) biography fills out some details: "At 14 he quit school in disgust, as the three months term merely kept him in the same grade. Through selling papers on the streets evening he succeeded in getting out of the mills and into a printing office, where he worked a year at $2.50 a week and boarded himself on the famous Greenback Labor Chronicle in Auburn, Me., which paper was published by Col. Blood and Frank F. Fogg. Succeeded in learning the printing trade, with no desire whatever to seek an occupation wherein he could ape the well-dressed master class and ride around on the backs of the workers by lashing them into humble submission with the whip of superstition and threat of eternal damnation."

In June 1884 he married Mary A. Vickery. It was in that same year he joined up with the fairly new Socialist Labor Party. His membership predates the arrival of SLP messiah Daniel De Leon.

In 1895 [or 1893, sources conflict] Boomer ran as the SLP candidate for Governor in Rhode Island. A couple years before he had started Justice, the first socialist newspaper in Rhode Island. According to a Providence Journal article in 1906: "Mr. Boomer was a printer, who had obtained some notoriety in the labor movement by assisting the branch of the Coxey army which passed through Providence and by speaking at many meetings of strikers and Socialists. He was a ready writer and developed into a fairly good speaker. He received 1730 votes, and this result greatly encouraged the Socialists as it was nearly three times the vote of the previous year." Historian Carlos Schwantes has noted, "His ability to write copy directly from the printer's job case made him a formidable journalist."

George left Rhode Island for Cumberland, Md., where he became the editor of another newspaper. He also broke from the Socialist Labor Party, becoming at first a Populist and then eventually joined the Socialist Party. SLP head honcho De Leon wrote of Boomer in 1903: "During the whole term of his membership he was at odds with the Party ... What Boomer objected to was the 'narrowness,' the 'intolerance' of the S.L.P.,-- the rigid class-line along which the S.L.P. hewed. The integrity of Boomer was never questioned. Making allowance for the superstition that haunted him, that he was a God-ordained Editor, Boomer was honest. His 'broadness' had no boodling in mind. Boomer, accordingly, presented a problem: How utilize for the Movement the man's abilities and probity, without slackening the Party policy? In short, how educate and instruct the man? how uproot his sociologic illusions? The problem received the only solution possible in such cases. Boomer and the party parted company. Unable to profit by the experience of others, he started to make his own experience ..."

De Leon's recognition of Boomer's integrity even though they were political adversaries is a theme that turns up several times from other opponents, from both the Left and Right. People might not have agreed with him, but he was respected for his character.

From Maryland George drifted to Girard, Kansas in 1897, where he was associated with the paper Appeal to Reason, "the most widely read and persuasive evangel for socialism the country had known," so wrote O'Connor. After a brief tenure there, he moved to Washington State and became the editor of Industrial Freedom, the official organ for the Equality Colony.

The Equality communal experiment had also given us ungovernors Randolph and Burgess. But among the Socialists, Boomer became one of the best known. Schwantes wrote that George "became Washington socialism's knight-errant, battling the minions of capitalism armed with little more than printer's ink and moveable type." He served as Equality's editor for six months, then moved to Tacoma in 1898 where he started a newspaper entitled, Spirit of '76. O'Connor called it, "The first simon-pure socialist paper in Washington." And as his name became known so did his controversial views. "Equality drew him west," wrote Charles Pierce LeWarne, "but he left early to edit radical papers in various Washington cities. His quarrels were many and his opinions and press lively."

Boomer apparently felt the Equality Colony's socialist philosophy was not politically active enough, and with his Tacoma paper he flirted with rejoining the Socialist Labor Party, but fell out with them as well. For a brief time he was a socialist without a party, but he quickly found a home in the newly formed Socialist Party.

Boomer's prominence as a socialist was not limited to Washington State, he was active nationally as well. A member of the Socialist Party National Committee, the 1902 St. Louis Session dispatched Boomer to Utah to act as a negotiator between warring factions of the Party.

In 1903 he moved again, this time across the Cascades to the community of Prosser. George and Alice (apparently his second wife, 18 years his junior) Boomer ran the Prosser Record, a decade-old newspaper that had been partisan with the Democrats. The Boomers had the interesting balancing act of making the paper a socialist vehicle while at the same time providing the services of a small town news source. George modernized the operation, making it the first paper in the area with eight pages, the first to install electric power as part of the operation, and the first to abandon hand composition. The circulation grew to 4000.

Writing in 1919, the historian W.D. Lyman said of the couple, "The Record was owned and managed by George Boomer, his wife Alice being associated with him in management. Mr. Boomer was a man of high mental and moral character and had the respect of all with whom he was associated. The same may be said of Mrs. Boomer, a gifted and attractive woman. Their political views, however, were not acceptable to the majority of their fellow townsmen, for they were pronounced socialists." Historian Paul Fridlund notes that this "colorful editor" was often the target of criticism by the Republican editor of the rival Prosser Bulletin, who called the record an "anarchist sheet." Notes Fridlund, "Both were strong personalities deeply committed to their politics."

It was during this Prosser chapter that both of the Boomers ran for public office. She ran for a county position, and he ran for Governor. This means that three out of the four candidates for Washington State Governor in 1908 were from east of the mountains. After returning from the Socialist Party national convention in Chicago in May, where he served as a delegate, George began his campaign.

He probably had the most exciting campaign of the four candidates. During his career he had been attacked and mobbed by intolerant attendees of his speeches, and hassled by the law. At some point he was even dragged by an automobile for a city block. During the 1908 campaign he was rotten-egged in Ellensburg. Apparently there was some difficulty in getting on the ballot in many counties.

Boomer used his own paper as a campaign forum. Here is a statement of his principles from the Oct. 30, 1908 issue in which he reveals himself as a true believer rather than any sort of poltician. He doesn't seem to suffer fools gladly. It makes me wonder how he handled hecklers, which could possibly account for why he was frequently mobbed and attacked. This essay is the earliest piece of writing I have encountered using the term "human rights." With a century of hindsight, this is very interesting reading:

"To my friends and neighbors of Prosser and Benton County:"

"For the last five years and a half I have been a resident of Yakima Valley. It is natural that all of you have not agreed with the political policies of the record during that time. However, I have faith enough in the inherent squareness of the American people to believe that whether you have agreed with me or not you have at least granted me the same degree of honesty that you demand as to your own political faith. I have had the honor to be nominated by the working class of this state as their candidate for governor. I appreciate that honor fully. Not so much for the office itself but because of the confidence reposed in me by the thousands of working men and women of this state who are demanding the national right to live by being guaranteed the right to work and the full value of the wealth their labor produces."

"Since my nomination many of my friends in Prosser and Benton county, but who are not Socialists, have voluntarily approached me, and because of personal friendship for me and because of my being a resident of this community, have generously signified their intention of voting for me as governor as a compliment. I do not wish to hurt their feelings, but those kind of votes are valueless to the cause for which I stand. If you do not honestly believe that Socialism will guarantee you a better chance to live, to produce wealth and have more of that wealth for you and your wives and babies to enjoy than the present system gives you, I do not want your vote under any consideration. I trust I have made this plain enough so I can now go on and say what I wanted to without being accused of using the Record to get votes for myself."

"In the first place I hold that no intelligent man has a right to denounce or vote against something that he does not understand. I say to you that Socialism is for the purpose of guaranteeing absolute security to every human being in this nation as far as the opportunity to produce wealth and receive it all for their enjoyment is concerned. That is all that Socialism is. It is not a scheme of some fanatic. It has nothing whatever to do with religion. That which is called Socialism has been brought into existence through the natural and logical development of capitalism-- the private ownership of the means of producing wealth. This being true it is a sign of cowardice on the part of any man or woman to refuse to investigate a result which the system they have been upholding has brought into existence. Further, from the very fact that Capitalism gave birth to Socialism the further development of Capitalism will force the people to establish Socialism in order to escape from the chaos and anarchy that Capitalism cannot help plunging the nation into. It is not a question as to whether you, in your economic ignorance, want Socialism or not. The irresistable development of industrial evolution is going to sweep Socialism into power."

"Those who say that Socialism is as old as the world, that Jesus Christ was a Socialist, or that once upon a time Socialism was tried and found wanting in China, talk like childish idiots. Socialism, in brief, is this: Do we or do we not, want to change the system of ownership of the industries from private hands to the hands of the workers? That is all Socialism is. Without a system of producing wealth in large industries and with out the presence of large and complicated machinery, there could not be even a thought of Socialism. If the means of producing wealth had remained as primitive as they were 75 or 80 years ago, and to which time the poor old democratic party is always looking, there would be no Socialist party today to confound Brother Taft with questions or to worry the office seeker."

"At that time, 75 or 80 years ago, were not two hostile classes in existence: that is, as fixed and definite classes. The line then dividing them was a wavering and indefinite line over which any one could easily step."

"The practice of a little thrift in the days of our grandfathers, the saving of few dollars, and one could purchase and become the owner of the few cheap and primitive tools necessary to make him the equal of any capitalist. But about that time something happened in industry, and until it happened there could be no two classes between whom even Mr. Taft admits there is a never-ceasing warfare, and which he is afraid may never be settled peaceably. That one thing that had to happen to develop production along the lines that would give birth to the modern demands of Socialism was the invention of the first labor-saving machine. As the machine came in and as it became more costly and complicated, the erstwhile independent worker found himself being gradually divorced from his tools. As the machine still increased so did the class of the toolless workers, until today we have in this country over thirty million of wage workers. The vast majority of these are absolutely helpless and hopeless as far as possible industrial independence is concerned. They and their children and their children's children are forever doomed, as long as the capitalist system shall last, to live only when the capitalist class sees fit to give them permission to work, and the reward they shall receive for working, regardless of the vast wealth they may produce, will be merely just sufficient for them to barely exist upon the cheapest and most insufficient food, cheap clothing and in miserable and unhealthy homes. Under the capitalist system-- the wage system-- the iron law governing the wage worker's recompense is that he shall never receive more than what the man out of work is willing to scab before he will starve."

"These wageworkers, after years of meetings and discussion, finally discovered what was the matter. They discovered that their right to live was not secure unless they were also guaranteed the right to work. With this also must be guaranteed the right to receive as nearly as possible the full value of the wealth they created and absolute security in the enjoyment thereof. None of these rights are secure to any individual under the capitalist system. There is not a wageworker who reads this article who can assure hos wife that he knows he can go to work next Monday morning. And if you do go to work you are not sure what you will receive or how much it will buy after you have received it. Not a farmer knows whether he can sell his crop next year or what he will get for it."

"The facts in the case are these:"

"There has never been a time, even under Teddy's great prosperity, when there were not at least 250,000 men and women denied the right to work. We have a standing and increasing army of over one million tramps, another more shameful army of over six hundred thousand fallen women (which evil our smug mayor thought he could settle by ordering four women from Prosser) who at one time were loved by their mothers as your daughters are by you. The population of our jails, insane asylums and poorhouses are increasing by leaps and bounds, while the divorce courts are clogged with the millions of divorce cases. All this, I presume, is sufficient evidence of the way the present system defends the home, pure love, ambition, etc., to merit your vote again this year. If it does, you should be ashamed of your peculiar idea as to what is meritorious."

"The average wealth production in the United States is practically $10 a day for every person engaged wealth production, while those who produce it get less than $1.30 out of every $10, less than 17 cents out of every dollar. That is 'dividing up' with a vengeance. The average income of the average American farmer is less than 50 cents a day, and he has to work his wife nearly to death and deprive his children of schooling to do that."

"As long as the means of producing wealth are owned by private individuals the workers have no moral or legal right to say when they shall work, or how, or what they shall get if they do work. That right belongs to the owner alone. That is the reason why the workers are demanding, and are going to get, the ownership of the means of wealth production so they can not only work when they want to, but under whatever conditions they deem best for themselves. Then, and then only, will they have a right to say how much of the vast wealth they produce shall they and theirs receive and enjoy. It is a self-evident fact that the right to life cannot be guanranteed unless those who desire to live own the means necessary to sustain life."

"It is this self-evident fact that is making Socialists by the thousands and will continue to do so until capitalism is swept away just as was fuedalism and chattel slavery."

"Next Tuesday will be cast a Socialist vote that will frighten the capitalist class into fits and forever remove the democratic party from national politics, where it has for so long befogged the real issue."

"The paramount issue is not the tariff, intrinsic value or injunctions. It is: Shall or shall not those produce the wealth of the nation be guaranteed the right to life by guaranteeing to themselves and everybody else the right to work and the right to receive the full fruits of their labor and absolute security in the enjoyment thereof? The present system guarantees none of these human rights and because of that it is doomed."

"To vote for Socialism is an honor. To vote for Capitalism is a shame."

"Let us of this valley do honor to our intelligence and justice to our children."

"Geo. E. Boomer."

He was crushed on election day. Boomer tallied only over 4000 votes out of over 176,000 ballots. The silver lining, such as it could be, was that at least he outpolled the Prohibition candidate by a few hundred votes.

In May 1909, the Boomers sold their newspaper and ended six years living in one place, a record for George in Washington State. Their goodbye editorial to the community was heartfelt and intriguing, with passages like this:
"Assuming charge of a democratic paper, as we did, and immediately making its editorial columns a vehicle for socialist thought, we can not fittingly express our kindly feelings for the many who, through these years, though not agreeing with us always politically, have stood loyally by us ..."
"Regardless as to whether or not we have made a financial success during these years, we at least hope that among the thousands that read 'The Record' some at least have had their thoughts turned to the necessity of a change of our present political and economic uncertainties to conditions of security for themselves and their children. If, as a result of our humble efforts, there are a few men and women who can see more clearly the necessity of greater security in the right to live that socialism only can guarantee, we are content, whether we have made money or not ..."
"As to our immediate future it is more or less uncertain. The demands upon Mr. Boomer's time for lectures will probably continue and he will devote most of his efforts to that for a few months at least ..."

According to the U.S. Census, George, Alice, and their newborn daughter Mildred lived in Leavenworth, Washington in 1910, where he worked as a newspaper printer. But later that year they were in Seattle, where he was involved with a periodical Wage Worker, "The Only 3-Color Roughneck Revolutionary Monthly on Earth." Another staff member included future ungovernor Emil Herman.

In 1912 George wrote the monograph, Twin Progeny of Capitalist Individualism : Assassins and Hero Worshipers. He also moved to Bremerton, where he edited the Kitsap County Leader. Sometime in this era, according to O'Connor, "While soapboxing in Port Townsend he was attacked by a soldier from the nearby fort. The state Socialist organizer reported that an attempt was made to get a warrant 'for the arrest of this uniformed beast from Judge Lockhart, who refused, saying that the socialists ought all to be thrown in the bay and he would be pleased to help do so. This poor brainless little grafting political tool, a pillar of the Methodist church, by the way, is like the vilest of the red-light pothouse politicians and it's up to the Socialist Party to teach him a severe lesson. The mayor refused to preserve order, being like the other little grafters, but a tool of the bawdy-house keepers and the like. The town seems to exist from the ill-gotten graft money wrung from the poor unfortunate girls of the working class prostituting themselves to the drunken soldiers.'"

George had grown more radical with each year. As the Puget Sound socialists divided into factions, he allied himself with the "Reds," a group that favored more revolutionary methods over evolutionary change. Perhaps he was sensing that he was running out of time. By 1913 he was back in Seattle and joined forces with Bruce Rogers, who O'Connor called "a somewhat bohemian type of rebel," to edit the satirical Barbarian. This paper not only made fun of the middle class, but it also jabbed at more cautious socialists.

In 1914 Boomer moved to Port Angeles, where he edited his final newspaper, Peninsula Free Press. He also ran for U.S. Congress in that year. It was the first election that sent Republican Lindley Hoag Hadley to Washington, D.C. in what turned out to be a long career. The Progressive Party ran a candidate, but this time the Socialists were competitive. Out of five candidates Boomer placed a strong 4th with 10,099 votes (15.35%).

George died April 5, 1915. The Party sent out this release: "Comrade George E. Boomer passed to his rest Monday morning at 2 a.m., after a hard seige with typhoid, brought on by overwork and disregard for his personal feelings when he saw any chance to spread the gospel of Socialism, to which his life had for decades been devoted. He died at his post. His heart-broken wife will probably continue the publication of the Peninsula Free Press with such aid as can be furnished by the Local Socialists."

His funeral was a major Socialist event. Bruce Rogers gave the eulogy, urging the true believers to carry on the work. Boomer was cremated.

A rival Port Angeles paper commented, "He was an able newspaper man and a good talker and was highly honored and respected by the local socialist party ... The sympathy of the community is extended to the widowed mother and little girl left behind to fight life's battle alone." Back in Prosser the reaction was shock, "It is as tho a father, almost, had been taken from our midst, as he was an untiring worker for the good of Prosser, and was one of the first editors of this city who dared to take a stand out in the open and fight for what he saw to be right. He did not hesitate to imperil the financial resources of his publication, that the people should receive the benefit. He did not hesitate to take issue with authorities, when he saw by so doing that the good of the commonwealth would be advanced. His type of work was of the kind that makes history, and marks out the trail that secures to them the rights of many. Much of our city law, as we now have it in Prosser, is directly due to his untiring efforts in these matters ..."

Even in 1915, death at age 52 still seems too young. One wonders what Boomer would've made of events if he had lived another 20 years: The Soviet Revolution, the Centralia Massacre, the Red Hunts after WWI (and the fact he surely would've been a target), the Great Depression and the New Deal.