Party Builder

In the very next edition of the paper, things really begin to get interesting. In April of 1918, Emil Herman, editor of the Party Builder and the Socialist Party’s State Secretary was arrested on charges that he violated the Espionage Act. The April 20^th edition of the paper carried a small account of his arrest on the front page ("Office Raided,"). Emil was eventually sentenced to serve ten years in federal prison (Schwantes, Radical Heritage, p. 215). His wife, Ruby Herman, seems to have stepped immediately into the editor’s role. It is likely that Ruby had already been involved with her husband in the production of the paper prior to Emil’s arrest, but her first official credit comes in this edition under an article entitled "That Party-Owned Press Proposition." (p. 1). This article will have further implications that will be discussed later.

While Emil Herman’s case and imprisonment are followed sporadically – if prominently - throughout the remaining issues of the paper, his release is never indicated. Ruby seems to have taken well to the job of editing the paper. By the August issue, Ruby is listed as the "Acting State Secretary" and, by inference, the acting editor of the paper since it appears that the State Secretary was, by default, also the editor and manager of the Party Builder. Her husband never loses his official title of State Secretary, but, over a year later, Ruby Herman is officially listed as the Editor and Manager of the Party Builder and retains the unofficial title of Acting State Secretary.

The paper under Ruby’s control changes dramatically. The Party Builder under Emil, at least in the issues available, had been fairly staid. It gave the statistics of the state party with a few notices of upcoming events and one or two articles on bureaucratic matters, but that was all. Ruby seems to have attempted to create a true party newspaper. More news articles and commentary appear by both local and national personalities, including an article entitled "We Must Now Organize," by Eugene V. Debs (12/20/19, p. 4). Several articles of local concern are printed with a credit to a John McSlarrow. The bureaucratic business of the Party is still present, but as of the December 20, 1918 edition it begins to appear as an independent section of the paper entitled "Official Business." A couple of editions later an ongoing section appears entitled "For the Local’s Study Class," the purpose of which, according to the paper was a "systemic study of the Communist Manifesto, believing that a thorough understanding of this work is imperative if one would be qualified as a Socialist in the full meaning of the word" (2/20/19, p. 4). Inspirational material also begins to make a regular appearance in the paper. Poems, some of them authored by Ruby herself, and excerpts from Socialist literature and other Socialist publications.

Along with a change of content, the style and layout of the paper undergoes a highly visible change. Keeping with Emil’s straightforward approach, there had been few type changes or any real attempt to layout the paper in any aesthetic way. Ruby’s Party Builder is in constant change. The paper briefly flirts with a revised name, The Party Builder; and masthead, two logos and a different typeset; and becomes much more organized and sectional during her tenure. The actual size and length of the paper never changes, however, all Ruby’s experimentation still occurs on the large, single-fold, four page sheet.

"About every so often some person or Local introduces a resolution or a motion favoring the establishment of a "Party Owned Press." Because we are all agreed that t Party owned Press is a very desirable thing we all heartily endorse, or enthusiastically vote for its establishment – and there the matter rests. It is like taking a referendum of the membership to see if the organization is in favor of the establishment of a Co-operative Commonwealth; I hardly think there would be one dissenting vote, but – having taken the referendum, how much nearer to the Co-operative Commonwealth would we have progressed thereby?

"The Party-Owned press must be also, Party controlled if it is to remain a valuable factor in carrying on the work of the Socialist Organization. The Organization must keep within its own hands the management of this Press – must "\’hire and fire’ all who are employed thereon.

"Comrades, we already possess such a ‘press’ – it only needs sufficient financial support to be able to function in as large a capacity as you desire. I refer to the ‘Party Builder.’

"…Quit dissipating your energies: Concentrate your efforts and money upon the upbuilding and improvement of that which you already possess to the end that you may thereby so perfect the machinery of our Organization that we shall be able to take advantage of our opportunities as they arise."

Credited to her, the article above is the first time Ruby Herman’s name appears in the Party Builder and it appears in the same issue that announces the arrest of her husband, then editor, Emil Herman. Much of the change that occurs under Ruby Herman’s official and unofficial stint as editor of the Party Builder likely reflects the attempt to turn the little party bulletin into a real, functioning "Party-Press." Emil Herman must have been involved in the planning of such a move, but how much of the later changes that the paper adopted were his idea and how much reflects Ruby’s hand can’t be known from a reading of the paper itself.

The attempt to turn the Party Builder into a full-fledged party newspaper was not without controversy. Months later, in the December 20, 1918 edition, Joe Strand, identified as "Chairman of the Press Board," ran an article in the Party Builder denouncing the "strife and factional fights within the party" stemming from Ruby’s April article. The article had been part of a proposal, by the Hermans and Strand, to enlarge the Party Builder into a "sixteen page propaganda paper" (p. 2). Two party members, identified as Fishermen and Cassidy, had an idea for a weekly Socialist paper of their own. They issued pamphlets attacking Strand and Mrs. Herman. In an apparent attempted coupe, a weekly paper was set up, the "International Weekly," but is unclear from the coverage whether or not the paper became officially sanctioned by the Socialist Party. It is clear, however, that Ruby Herman and Joe Strong did not succeed in turning the Party Builder into the weekly Socialist "Party-Press" that they envisioned.

The last issue on file for the Party Builder was printed almost a year later, November 20, 1919, and is printed during the breakup of the Socialist Party. Ruby is on the masthead as "Editor & Manager," but the paper almost looks like a throwback to the days before Emil was imprisoned. The entire first two pages, and a large portion of the third, are taken up with minutes from the Special-Emergency Convention of the Washington Socialist Party. The key issue seems to have been the financial straights to which the Party had fallen – "monthly dues have never been adequate for the support of the organization, either State or National" (p. 1). The blame for the situation is placed upon the "reign of terror" by authorities from the outside and "agitation" by "left wing" dissidents internally. This left faction had apparently split off entirely on the national level and formed a new organization under the same name, "Socialist Party of America," which was eliciting some confusion. A letter from Emil Herman is quoted in the paper saying, "Tell them that I am for affiliation with the communist Labor Party. But I strongly urge that the convention go on record as favoring unity of all Socialist organizations" (p. 1).

While there is plenty of indications that the Socialist Party was not having the best of times, there is no mention that the paper might be shutting down or that there were any unresolveable issues at hand. In general the tone of the final edition and the quoted minutes from the Convention is upbeat and hopeful, while at the same time acknowledging that there are difficult issues that must be dealt with. We know, however, that such optimism was ill founded. The post-war atmosphere in 1919 was to become increasingly hostile to reformist and radical elements – associating all labor and reform movements with the IWW and the Russian revolution. Events such as the Seattle General Strike, occurring in early February of 1919, and a wave of labor strikes following the close of WWI only fed middle class fears, turning public opinion against radical groups. Dark days were ahead for labor in Washington State during the 1920s. The Party Builder appears to have been one the casualties.

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Trial of Tom Mooney:

- "If You Are Not For Mooney You Are Against Him" (April 20, 1918)