Willard W. Kemp
VP candidate for Christian Party (aka Christian Party of America) (1936)
Running mate with nominee: William Dudley Pelley (1890-1965)
Popular vote: 1,598 (0.00%)
Electoral vote: 0/531
The campaign:
The campaign has been described in the Addendum (*) below. The Christian Party appeared on the ballot only in Washington State, where they ran a crop of candidates for several offices. Meanwhile, I'll share a few small details about the elusive Vice-Presidential nominee:
Willard W. Kemp, Pelley's running mate and resident of Alpine, Calif., had already gained attention from law enforcement before he was nominated. Based in the San Diego area, Kemp ran a paramilitary unit known as the "Silver Rangers" who would practice on property out in the hills east of El Cajon under the name of "San Diego Silver Shirt Rifle Club." The idea was to be prepared for May Day, 1934, when they would be waiting for an expect Communist uprising in San Diego and in the ensuing confusion the 200 or so Silver Shirts would emerge victorious and start their own revolution in the process with the help, Kemp believed, of local military units the San Diego Sheriff.
It didn't turn out that way. No Communists showed up, no uprising took place.
A government spy was within the midst of the Silver Shirts. Once he was discovered the fascists beat him and fractured his skull but it was too late to stop the government inquiries. By the time of the 1936 elections Kemp was already in the Federal radar.
What became of Kemp is a matter of conjecture. Did he quit the whole fascist organization in March, 1937 and vanish himself? Was he banned from living on the West Coast as a result of WWII security measures? One source claims Kemp killed himself after the 1936 defeat. Someone matching his name and description was in the news in Salt Lake City in 1938 as an alcoholic oil salesman accused of intoxicating some fireman on duty. His name came up frequently in 1940 during the Dies Committee investigations. Did Kemp die in Southern California in 1966? Lots of blanks to fill in on this case.
Election history: none
Other occupations: oil speculator and sales
Buried: ?
Notes:
*Addendum:
I originally compiled the following section for OlyBlog, Nov. 16, 2008, as a profile of 1936 Christian Party candidate for Washington State Governor Malcolm Mark Moore. Although Kemp is not named, he is described in a news report:
https://www.olyblog.net/newWP/2008/11/16/ungovernor-1936-malcolm-mark-moore/
Ungovernor, 1936 – Malcolm Mark Moore
The eight men running for Washington State Governor in 1936 represented the political spectrum from communist to theocratic fascist. And when I say "theocratic fascist," I’m not using inflammatory language to generalize a political group. No. The members of the Christian Party, or the Silver Shirts as they were known, promoted fascism, white supremacy, hatred of Jews, openly admired Hitler and Mussolini, and thought their presidential candidate communicated directly with otherworldly powers and was doing God’s work. What makes their gubernatorial candidate in 1936 so fascinating is that M.M. Moore was a respected political office-holder and pillar of the Ilwaco and Pacific County community. P.U.D. founder and Commissioner, Ilwaco City Treasurer and City Councilman, active in civic groups, store owner– his involvement with the Silver Shirts seemed out of place.
The historian Karen Hoppes provides some background on the Silver Shirts: "The Silvershirt Legion of America was born on January 30, 1933. Its founder and spiritual leader, William Dudley Pelley, fashioned the Silvershirts after the Storm Troopers of the NSDAP. Even though the ideology and structure mimicked the German Nazi Party, the Silvershirt Legion was the sole reflection of the spiritualistic ideas of its founder."
Pelley (1890-1965) had set up his headquarters in Asheville, N.C. Stating that he had "died" on May 29, 1928, the near-death experience had transformed him. According to Hoppes, "Pelley believed he had acquired amazing new powers of stamina and reflection. Furthermore, he claimed to possess a built-in ‘mental radio’ through which he could ‘tune in on the minds and voices of those in another dimension of being.’ Through his studies in astrology, occult, numerology and other metaphysical fields, Pelley concluded that he knew the answers to the questions plaguing mankind. These answers could be found in the messages of the Great Pyramid at Gizeh …" Hoppes says Pelley also predicted "the total collapse of the United States, which was to be September 16, 1936." He also predicted his own death would happen in 1962 (he guessed three years too soon) and Christ would return on Sept. 17, 2001.
It is estimated there were 15,000 party members by 1934. Pelley had visions of a "Christian Commonwealth." Hoppes: "In this system, the United States would be transformed into a giant corporation, which would be operated by native-born white American Christian stockholders who, without having to work, would each receive monthly dividends of $83.33."
The uniform, which was required to be worn at all party functions, consisted of a silver-gray shirt and a red "L" on the left breast. A blue tie included the special individual membership number sewn on. Party initiation and regulations were strict and complete obedience was expected.
Pelley announced his run for the U.S. Presidency in 1935, but managed to get his name on the ballot of only one state. Yup. You got it. The Evergreen State. The historian Eckard V. Toy Jr., disputing the oft-quoted "Soviet of Washington" label, makes this case for Pelley’s ability to run in our state: "Washington’s exceptionalism during the 1930s was probably due less to the radicalism of its parties than to the ‘eccentricity and opportunism’ of some of its politicians. The novelist Mary McCarthy made this point in 1936 when she described her home state’s political atmosphere as ‘wild, comic, theatrical, dishonest, disorganized, hopeful; but … not revolutionary.’"
Washington State was foreign territory to Pelley, but in spite of that he had no trouble attracting candidates to run for statewide office. Some of them had been active in Townsend Clubs and/or the Liberty Party campaign of 1932. They came from the middle class, some of them were professional men. Dr. Dwight D. Clarke of Olympia was the Christian Party candidate for Secretary of State. Chehalis insurance salesman Orville Roundtree, who had run for U.S. Congress as a Democrat in 1932 and Liberty Party in 1934, was trying a third time for the same office under the Christian Party. Roundtree would become Pelley’s chief organizer in Washington.
And then there was Christian Party gubernatorial candidate, M.M. Moore.
Malcolm Mark Moore was born in Washington State, probably in Clark County, Aug. 1883. He was the son of Ohio native Frank M. Moore, employed as a civilian clerk at Vancouver Barracks. In 1900 Frank appears to be a single father with two children, Malcolm and Alice. Malcolm married Juanita, a native of Oregon, around 1906 and settled in Portland. While there he worked as a clerk (1910) and by 1920 was a salesman for Goodyear Rubber Co. The couple had two daughters and a son. The Moores moved to Ilwaco around 1924.
Moore became active in Ilwaco civic affairs. A May 13, 1966 article in the Chinook Observer outlines Moore’s resume: "Mr. Moore has lived in Ilwaco for 42 years past and served in that city as a volunteer fireman for 30 years, on the town council for six years, town treasurer for nine years, town clerk for seven years, Ilwaco port auditor for five years, was organizer of Pacific county’s Public Utility District No. 2, and served as its commissioner for 20 years, and was secretary and a director of the Washington PUD Commissioners’ Association for six years."
"The Father of Public Power in Pacific County" as the South Bend Journal liked to call him, earned that name by being a tireless proponent of the then radical notion of establishing public utility districts in place of private power monopolies. It is hard to imagine the distinguished gentleman I see in newspaper photos allowing himself to wear a silly uniform and sign up with a specimen like Pelley. But he did.
Pelley campaigned throughout the state, giving many speeches. He was basically ignored by the press. One of the few descriptions of a Christian Party rally I found by a non-Pelley source comes from the left-wing Washington Commonwealth (Seattle), July 4, 1936:
Christian Party Strut Heroics
Staff Correspondent Attends Meeting of the Lowly Followers of the Self Styled Gods’ Own Representative
Ever seen William Dudley Pelley and his crew in action at a meeting of the Christian Commonwealth Party?
No? Then you’ve missed seeing some slickers work at the old game of skinning the people.
Boy, what a show! And how folks go for it!
"Into the crowded hall (Moose Temple, last Tuesday) walks Pelley, followed by his lieutenant, a tall false-alarm from California who aspires to be vice-president of the U.S., followed by their big noise, the official ballyhooer, followed by six color-bearers, three carrying the Stars and Stripes, and three the flag of the Christian Party– a big red "L" sewed on a field of white."
"Meanwhile we in the audience arise and sing the ‘Star Spangled Banner.’"
"Song concluded, and the air thus properly thickened with patriotism, the ballyhooer, now on the platform, starts out: ‘Folks, this is STILL America!’ (Applause)."
"’This is STILL the land of the free and the home of the brave!’ (Loud applause)."
"’And by God, citizens like us are going to see that it stays so!’ (Louder applause)."
"The big noise now proceeds to his real business, the build-up of Pelley, who is to follow him on the program, winding up, ‘And now I wish to introduce the man who has been chosen by God to lead America out of the depression!’"
"When Pelley takes the platform everyone gets up, including us, though we’re a little sickened by this tribute."
"Pelley gives us the works. From position 1, straight front to the audience, hands in pockets, he tells us that in all his travels through 30 states he has not seen a group of people more intelligent-looking than this one; that the logical place to start the Christian Commonwealth is in Washington, the spot in the U.S. fartherest from the cancer-infested East, where Jews reign. ‘We should make this a movement,’ he says, ‘from Washington (state) to Washington (D.C.).’"
"From position 2, walking about, taking a stance here and there, he goes into personal history. It seems that several years ago, while secluded in a New York apartment, he heard a call from God to go out and fight America’s enemies, so he went out and organized the Silver Legion to persecute the Jews."
"Time marched on, and not long ago Pelley got word through his direct connection with the Above that it was time for his Silvershirts to get into the political ring. ‘Today,’ says he, ‘We’re going straight ahead to get Christian Party candidates registered for every possible electoral office.’"
"And now, from position 3, leaning over confidentially, gesturing freely with his arms, he begins feeding out the propaganda– such stuff that it revolted us to see the people eating it out of his hand. Sample slices:"
"’That fine, brainy type of statesman, Adolf Hitler– .’"
"’There is no Fascism in Germany; Hitler has set up a protectorate over German institutions– .’"
"’Suppose a house is being robbed, and there are 12 of us in the room next to the one where the burglar is. We wouldn’t care whether or not we had badges; we’d go in and take the shirt off the burglar–‘ (Mind, it’s 12 against 1)."
"’Mussolini not only thumbed his nose at the League of Nations; he kicked it in the teeth–‘ (Exaltingly)."
"‘The Silvershirts are the guardians of the Christian Commonwealth, taking care of our poor, hungry, bedeviled people–‘."
"Just as we began thinking we could stomach no more, Pelley quit. During the intermission which followed, the ballyhooer signalled for the squeeze play and the collection plates were passed by some of the aides de camp, pompous because of the red ‘L’s’ sewed on their shirt fronts over their hearts. Those ‘L’s’, by the way, stand for ‘Life, Liberty, Love, Liberation.’"
"Collection results: $109.22. Not bad from an assemblage of 500 people, considering most of it came in dimes and nickels from the poor."
"Well, now we sing again, this time the ‘Battle Hymn of the Republic,’ to sound the pitch for the man from California, Pelley’s right hand man, who soon rises to speak."
"And this guy plays no mean second fiddle to ‘the Chief’ in handing out the hokum:"
"’Roosevelt, the Big Grin, as the Chief likes to call him–‘."
"’I’d like to go back to Washington, D.C., and take the shirt off Tugwell– yes, and his britches too, if the ladies here will permit me to say so–‘."
"’We hope to do this job with pigskin gloves over knuckles of iron. But if it shall come to pass as when the Lord said, ‘I shall call for a sword throughout all the mountains against him,’ by the grace of God, we shall answer the call–‘."
"Thunderous applause, while we sat there with what we hoped was a sneer on our face, thinking: ‘Gosh darn! Are the people here really being taken in by that Pelley fellow up there in the black uniform and his right hand man, that guy in the black suit playing Hitler’s ‘Man of Iron’?’"
"’See,’ said an old man behind me to his wife, who had just been given a copy of Pelley’s Weekly by an aide, ‘just call on the Lord and he’ll answer you!’"
"’H’m,’ we thought, ‘that settles it,’ and we fought our way through the crowd to the door."
Malcolm M. Moore’s hometown paper in Ilwaco, The Tribune, barely mentioned their local gubernatorial prospect. The Oct. 9, 1936 issue did carry this small item buried on the bottom of page 1: "William Dudley Pelly, candidate for President of the United States, was in Ilwaco on Wednesday afternoon from 3:30 to 6 o’clock for the purpose of conferring with Malcolm M. Moore, Ilwaco candidate for Governor of the State of Washington. Accompanying Mr. Pelly was Dr. Clarke of Olympia, candidate for secretary of state for Washington and several other men, including a photographer, who took moving pictures of Malcolm Moore for use in the campaign. These gentlemen are candidates on the Christian party ticket for their respective offices."
It is interesting to note the Tribune editor considered the following headlines to be more important than Pelley’s visit, as they appeared on the top of the fold:
"Violinist Plays Delightful Music at PTA Program : Marion Egbert of South Bend Captures Audience With Charm of Music," "Ilwaco Boy Wins Prize in Window Display at Doupe Brothers’ Store," and "Kiwanis Stages Meeting Of Interest To Business."
Pelley did have one mainstream newspaper on his side, The Centralia Tribune. Chief Pelley and Silver Shirts Visit Centralia, screamed a banner headline on July 31, 1936. The paper ran a regular column containing excerpts from Pelley’s book, No More Hunger, and provided fawning and free front page advertising for Christian Party candidates under the guise of news.
If the Christian Party had dreams of sparking a popular uprising, the Washington State voters effectively nipped that idea in the bud. Moore finished sixth out of eight with 1,947 votes (0.29%), beating the Communist candidate by only eight votes. Moore placed third in Island (39 votes), Kitsap (171 votes) and Pacific (61 votes) counties. He also placed 4th, behind Union Party Ungovernor Nelson, in Lewis (233 votes) and Pierce (430 votes) counties.
Moore’s connection with the Christian Party appears to have ceased or dramatically tapered off after the 1936 campaign. As the country edged closer to World War II, the government went after Mr. Pelley and his organization. Malcolm avoided sharing Pelley’s fate of imprisonment.
Indeed, Mr. Moore continued his public life as if he had never been part of Pelley’s crew. According to P.U.D. historian Ken Billington, just a month after the 1936 election, Moore was present at the Dec. 7 formation of the Washington Public Utility Commissioners’ Association in Seattle and elected the first Secretary-Treasurer.
Although Malcolm’s Pelley connection was apparently never mentioned in subsequent newspaper articles or even his obituary, he seems to have been a controversial figure in political news. In Dec. 1940 Moore resigned as Secretary of the Pacific County P.U.D. (but retained his seat) after a shouting match with another Commissioner. He "resigned" his post altogether in Sept. 1949, as he walked out of an emotional public hearing concerning labor and management. He finally resigned for real in July 1955, with three years remaining in his term, "for personal reasons." He was still Treasurer for Ilwaco at the time.
The Moores moved to Bellingham in May 1966 in order to live closer to one of their daughters. Juanita died Apr. 15, 1969. Shortly after her death Malcolm broke a vertebrae and was confined to a rest home. He apparently had failing eyesight during his last years. He died in Bellingham at the age of 96, Aug. 8, 1979.
