The Commoner.
MAT 20, 1905
9
TO BE THE PARTY OF THE PEOPLE
cratic work. I am not hopeful of
democratic success in this territory as
it is plain the republicans will keep
off statehood until they can get
negroes enough in here to carry it.
The white vote and especially the
tax payers is largely democratic in
this territory.
D. A. Winegarden, Boyne City,
Mich. The pledge is all right.
Matt Plunkett, Central City, S. D.
I am doing all I can for primary
pledges. It is true there is not much
interest taken as yet in the movement
in thiB locality. The reason is that
the democrats are disgusted with the
St. Louis convention and they yet
feel a little sore. But he assured I
will do what I can for primary pledges
and democracy.
C. P. Clancy, John E. Eubanks and
F. L. Eubanks, of Christopher, 111.
Please find our primary pledges. We
believe this is" the plan to bring the
democrats together and it ie a duty
we owe to the party.
P. H. Musser, Rural Retreat, Va.
The plan I heartily endorse and hope
the good work will go on.
Thos. Taylor, Petersburg, Ind.
Your primary pledge plan is a good
one. Let the ball be started rolling
around the rank and file of the party
and keep it rolling until 1908 and there
will be something doing when a dem
ocratic platform is presented to the
people. Park County in 1896 and in
1900 elected the democratic county
tickets. The democratic nominee in
1896 and in 1900 carried the county
by good majorities. , In 1904 Roosevelt
carried the county by 372. We must
get "back to the people!"
Henry Tinker, Siloam Springs, Ark.
Find enclosed list of twenty demo
crats who are loyal to the principles
for which The Commoner and Mr.
Bryan so willingly strive.
D. T. Bush, Caradan, Texas. I have
generally attended primaries and I
believe if all democrats had attended
heretofore the attitude of the party
in 1904 would have been entirely differ
ent. I think the one hope of the
common people is for the rank and
file to go into the primaries and de
mand their rights, although some of
our leading papers advise the farm
ing class to keep out of politics when
they ought to advise them to make
politics a study.
H. L. Pangle, Mosheim, Tenn. I
have read in The Commoner relative
to organization and I herewith send
in the primary pledge signed. I most
heartily endorse the plan, and hope
to see the day when the democratic
party will become thoroughly demo
cratic and' corruption in politics eter
nally eliminated.
A. McNeeley, Roland, Ark. You
will find enclosed my primary pledge.
I think you have struck upon the right
plan.
A. E. Cramsie, Minneapolis, Minn.
I enclose my pledge and I wish the
movement God-speed. I believe in it.
I would thank you for a number of
pledges, which I shall try to return
signed.
H. B. Jones, Foss, Okla. Enclosed
find primary pledge signed. I think
it is a good thing and think all true
democrats should sign the pledge and
take The Commoner.
E. T. Flggins, Dover, Ky. I am of
the Jefferson, Jackson, Bryan stripe
of democracy and take great pleasure
in reading The Commoner which is a
weekly visitor to my home. I approve
of your primary plan and have not
only taken great pleasure in signing
the pledge, but have circulated it
among my friends and secured' alto
gether sixty-two signers.
W. Jeffcott, Sarasota, Fla. You will
find herewith the primary pledge,
which I heartily endorse as an enter
ing wedge. Permit me to say that
I like The Commoner for its honesty
and fearlessness. Wishy-washy won't
win. It was the- courage born of con
fidence in the people that called it
"The Commoner."
Frank R. Starr, Dehesa, Calif. I
have never missed a primary since I
was of -age, thirty years ago. The
Alpha and Omega of representative
government is the primary. Its im
portance is recognized fully by design
ing politicians. "Eternal vigilance is
the price of liberty." Nine-tenths of
our political ills arise from neglect of
this function.
W. P. Brown, Pomona, Colo. En
closed find the pledge signed, which
gives me pleasure, feeling that it is
a most important step in the right
direction.
Ed. E. Smith, Barron, Wis. I bog
to register one vote for the primary
pledge.
C. H. Sanders, Deep River, la.
You will find enclosed primary pledge
signed. Let the good work go on.
R. E. Childs, Sr., Dexter, Mo. En
closed find signed pledge, which gives
me much pleasure to do, as I have
always been a democrat.
Geo. W. .Courtright, Wheelersburg,
Ohio. Please send me a few pledge
blanks.
Minor Moore, Higbee, Missouri. I
heartily approve of your primary
pledge plan as outlined in The Com
moner of March 17. I believe if
properly caried out, your plan will
take the writing of platform and the
naming of candidates out of the hands
of those that are interested only in
the distribution of patronage, and if
that can be accomplished, and if vic
tory should be ours in 1908, we will
have won .a victory that will moan
something.
Luther A. Long, Sardinia, Ohio
Find enclosed primary pledge signed
and allow me to say that I heartily
approve of your plan and I believe
it will bring democratic success.
W. D. Bird, Wathena, Kans. With
pleasure I sign the primary pledge,
thinking it the best means yet sug
gested to get common people together
that they may have a voice in choos
ing delegates from the county conven
tion up.
David Brier, Lincoln, Mo. I en
close herewith the primary pledge,
though I am not a democrat and never
was one. I belong to the third party,
but if the democrats repudiate the
Cleveland wing of the democratic
party and stick to the principles advo
cated by The Commoner, I shall stay
with them.
R. Turner, Avery, Ohio. I will say
that I most emphatically commend the
pledge plan, as given in The Com
moner, and believe it will be the
means of the rank and file having
a voice in the conventions of the
party, and preventing the repitltion of
another such mistake as was made
at St. Louis last year.
J. L. Hoops, Crocker, Mo. Please
send me a lot of primary pledge
blanks, as I want to get all the demo
crats in my township to sign and
send them in. I want to be instru
mental in making Dick Bland's old
district roll up a big majority in
1908.
Harry Morris, Sulphur, Ky. En
closed find forty-one names to the
primary pledge. These I received in
less than one hour. I watch every
week to see some move from Ken
tucky. What is the matter with the
old democratic state? I have some
leisure now and -hope that you will
hear from me often. Our circuit
court commences Monday; I will stir
up, or-a least. tr.y to 'stir up, some
interest in the primary pledgo peti
tion and subscriptions. Give mo
something from Kentucky. It will
stlmulato others.
C. F. Kircher, Morrison, Okla. I
oncloso primary pledge, and hope- It
will bo a great success.
B. H. Cassidy, Rusk, Tex. I will
say that I am fully in favor of W. J.
Bryan's plan of organization of the
democratic party and will do all I
can for the cause of true democracy.
John C. Gamble, Oakland, Calif.--Please
find enclosed the primary
pledge, which it gives me great plead
uro to sign and which 1 will endeavor
to keep as far as I am able.
H. L. Benson, San Antonio, Tex.
I enclose herewith the primary pledge
duly signed, and would say in addi-J
tion to the above, that it affords me
great pleasure, indeed, to follow suc'i
a consistent leader as you have proved
to be sinco you entered public life.
The day will come when the great
masses of our citizenship will realize
that in your heart rings the true key
note of humanity and justice.
Win. Fry, .Cisne, 111. I enclose pri
mary pledgo with eighteen signatures
and will get more.
D. T. Yount, Delphi, Ind. Enclose
pledge with fifteen signatures and you
can expect moro soon.
W. H. Waitfield, Mound City, Kans.
Enclose primary- pledge with twenty-four
signatures.
H. Sycamore, St. Louis. Enclosed
find primary pledge with several sig
natures. C. L. Ogilvie, Enid, Okla. Enclosed
find primary pledgo.
H. R. Cooke, Reno, Nevada. For
a Texas democrat, loyal to the democ
racy of that illustrious line of states
men, Jefferson, Jackson and Bryan,
and who reveres the memory of Jeffer
son Davis and Alexander H. Stephens,
it would hardly seem necessary to
sign any pledge or make any promise
to attend the primaries of his party,
were it not that such act might tend
to encourage others not so strong In
the faith. The Commoner, and its
illustrious editor are doing a grand
and noble work for the cause of gen
uine democracy and I hope to see
the day when the principles advocated
will be crystallized into law through
the medium of a democratic congress
and a democrat in the White house.
Geo. W. Wise, Shelby, Miss. Find
enclosed my endorsement of your plan
of pledge to attend alj primaries. There
is nothing in it that's wrong, and the
necessity for organization becomes
more apparent with the advance of
time. I still continue to distribute my
paper just as soon as I have read
it, and I can say that there is now
more of a disposition to receive It
than a year ago, and a more affable
disposition to discuss democratic
principles than formerly. I am sur
rounded by the "want to win kind,"
and I am trying to suppress my Im
patience and follow a line of duty Jn
drawing them to consider principles
as you discuss them. When ever I
can be of service to you, call on me.
I certainly endorse your ideas politi
cally and am .your brother in kind.
Robert A. Cavender, Dillsboro.
With pleasure I sign and forward the
pledge. I believe The Commoner and
William J. Bryan are fighting the
good fight.
Percival J. Knappenberger, Allen
town, Pa. I will try and assist Jn
bringing the grand old Jeffersonian
party to success. I fipnly believe that
after a while honest republicans will
realize that the only way good govern
ment can be achieved is to do like
wise. M. V. Sperry, Conneautville. If I
tiould say one word-that would please
or oncourngc you in and for the hon
est and fonrlGBB stand you have taken
in behalf of the people, I would glad
ly do it. Pleaco allow mo to thank
you for your able and heroic effort.
O. W. B. Faurst, Kenton, Ohio.
Find enclosed a primary pledc Blgned
by twenty democrats. Sonio of them
linvo been "regulars" at primaries
whilo some luiyo not. Those who
have not been In the habit of attend
ing say they will attend in the fu
ture All jthink it a good plan. I
made It a rule for twenty years to
attend the primaries in my township
and county and to go to ns many
state and other conventions ns I could;
but as I am now situated, I can not
attend as many as I would like to;
being a farmer and lone handed com
pels mo to keep close at home, but
am willing to work all I can for tho
causo of truo democracy.
L. K. McGaffey, real estate, Roa
wcll, N. M. I believe that thin propo
sition Is a good one as It will, among
other things, show the surprising In
fluence that any man, who is in earn
est, has upon his party.
II. J. Colverbach, Pcrrysburg, N. Y.
After reading Judge Parker's Jeffer
son's birthday speech, am almost
sorry for having followed Mr. Bryan's
advice, voting for him. I was a W.
R. Hearst man In tho spring of 1904,
but would have just as quick voted
for Mr. Cockrell or any good democrat,
whom Mr. Bryan could have supported.
There is no use crying over spilled
milk. But the primary pledge organi
zation will prevent moro milk being
spilled. I read once somewhere, that
it is all right for a man to make mis
takes, provided they aro new ones.
It is wrong to make tho same mistake
twice. We democrats of tho cast as
sure our western and southern breth
ren that we will not make the rJOl
mistake again.
Ben Widner, BuchTreo, Mo. I am,
pleased to be counted as one of the
democratic voters who is awake in
the interest of good government.
When Cleveland in his second term
attempted to incorporate into democ
racy the worst feature of republi
canism he aroused democratic voters
to the extent that the Chicago plat
form of 1896 -was a direct expression
of the voters of the party, and tho
result of the vote showed that they
endorsed it. The platform and can
didate of 1904 was mainly the result
of carelessness on the part of the rank
and file in not attending the prima
ries, and the vote when counted plain
ly indicated that the voters had not
been consulted. I hope that every
democratic voter will remember that
Eternal vigilance is the price of good
government and act accordingly.
J. N. O'Neal, Murillo, Ark. Ever
since the primary pledge was first sent
out, I have been saving every one and
securing signers. Not a single demo
crat has refused to sign this pledgo,
as it is fair in every respect You
will find the pledges which I have
secured enclosed with my own. Such
a movement as this is worthy of at
tention and should concern every man
who loves democracy. I will take
pleasure in continuing to secure sign
ers, and will send them in.
Jas. Pace, Nowata, I. T. Enclosed
find a few more signers of the pri
mary pledge. It pleases me to be
able to send in these names in fur
therance of the cause. I hope to be
able to continue tho circulation of
the primary pledge blanks. Down in
this country where there is no orga
nized government, where all the offi
cers are federal appointees, and henco
republicans, there is need of constant
work to keep the people advised that
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