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The Commoner.
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VOLUME 5, NUMBER 21
The Multitude Which Does Not Reduce Itself to Unity is Confusion
V
The work of organization on the primary pledge plan is well under way. Democrats everywhere are showing great- enthusiasm or they enter upon
their effort to make their party true ts itself by making it true to the people. Don't withhold your pledge because you always attend primaries.
Vou can help the work by setting a good example to your careless colleague. Send in your own pledge. Then ask your neighbor to sign. It will
require time to cover the entire field, bjt if democrats co-operate, the desired result will be accomplished. Every democrat, is asked to pledge himself
to attend all of the primaries of his party to be held between now and the next democratic national convention, unless unavoidably prevented, and
to use a clear, honest and straight-forward declaration of the party's position on every question upon which the voters of the party desire to speak.
Those desiring to be enrolled can either write to The Commoner approving the object of the organization and asking to have their names entered on
the roll, or they can fill out and mail the blank pledge, which is printed on this page. , .
Extracts from letters recoived by
The Commoner follow:
J. II. Robinson, Onkvale, W. Va.-
Enclosed find primary pledge. I am
with you In all the reforms advocated
In the columns of The Commoner. I
will 1)0 with you when crossing the
last ditch. Yours looking forward to
a bettor Way and an honest adminis
tration. C. A. Ilaulonbeck, Jr., Manhattan,
Kans. I , enclose primary pledge
which every democrat in the nation
should sign. One can njt understand
"The Value of an IcciU" (politically)
until he becomes a student of govern
ment instead of greed. The govern
ment must get "back to the people,"
and this certainly cannot be accom
plished unless the people get back to
the government, and am glad to see
that they are "getting busy."
J. W, Long, Gridlcy, Calif. -Enclosed
find my pledge signed, which I
hayo neglected to send you sooner. 1
will say that I have attended demo
cratic primaries for more than forty
years, both in this stato and Ohio, and
am not too old to glvo up the fight. I
became a voter September 25, 18G0.
H. H. Porch, Skeleton, Nev. I be
lieve that a man who will not attend
his party's primaries lias not a cor
rect idea of. his political duties.
J. M. Lay, Weatherford, Tex.
Hoping that we small but true demo
crats may cot a nominee for presi
dent in 1908 that we can vote for,
I herein enclose my primary pledge.
J. R. Sole, Earlham, Iowa. Please
send a few blank primary pledges to
me or J. R. Rodman of Earlham,
Iowa.
Wm. O'Connor, Westville, I. T.
Please find primary pledge. I am a
Kansas City platform democrat, first,
last and all the time. Plutocracy must
he decent.
V. J. Lash, Appleton City, Mo.
If you have a form of the pledge you
qan send me I can get lots to sign it.
I send eight names and maybe can
send some more right away.
W. T. Miller, Crescent City, Okla.
Enclosed find my pledce to the unter
rified Jefferaonian democratic party.
I have, been an earnest and willing
follower of the principles advocated
by The Commoner since it was born,
and I am now willing t do all in my
power to aid you and the party to a
grand victory in 190S. But I want no
more New York candidates in mine.
T. H. Cooper, St. Louis, Mo. My
primary pledge I enclose signed, which
I think every good democrat ought
to do. The primary pledge is one of
the many good leads taken by The
.Common or.
V. A. Kinnison, Welch, md. Ter.
I send you primary pledge with 35
signatures.
Ed F. Poorman, Humboldt, 111.-Enclosed
find names of eleven more
democrats all of Humboldt, who have
signed the primary pledge.
Lewis S. Loney, Midland, Md. En
closed find primary pledge signed.
Push the good work.
Lewis' Obouchon, Coffman, Mo. I
send you primary pledge signed by 20
democrats. I might secure a fow more
but concluded to send what I had as
T am 70 years old and do not feel like
canvassing any more. I found a few
democrats who said they never failed
to attend the primaries and did not
see any use in signing a pledge to do
so. (There are many such democrats
Ed M. Williams, Cadillac, Mich. I
accept primary reform as proposed by
The Commoner, but will not mutilate
but thov should remember that every my paper to send the pledge. Will
name helps. If those who attend the ' say I am a democrat in the sense
primaries regularly, do not assist in ' Jefferson defines it rnd I sign this
pushing the primary pledge plan, at' pledge more for posterity than for
least by sending in their own names, ! self.
it is not likely that those who habitu-j g. l Baylor, Milltown, Ind. I voted
ally remain away from the primaries for Mr. Bryan in 1896 and 1900. I
wm ue tnougnuui enougn to assisu did not vote for Judge Parker in
in this movement. It is to be hoped
that every democrat will sign the pri
mary pledge. The Commoner.)
D. H. Chamberlain, Harriston, Miss.
I send you a batch of names signed
to primary pledge. This is only an
installment. Many more are to fol
low. J, C. Daugherty, Summerville,
Mo. I send you primary pledge with
20 signatures.
Geo. L. Bonman, County Attorney,
Kingfisher, Okla. Find enclosed
pledge. Only honest men -should be
elected to office and let us make that
our campaign and all other things for
the good of the people will follow.
J. I. Maples, Coin, Ark. I send you
primary pledge with 20 signatures.
Clias. O. McLane, Rossland, B. C.
Canada. I heartily approve of Mr.
Bryan's plan of the primary pledge.
I have always stood by democfacy, my
first vote being in 1892 for Grover and
the last in 1904 for Alton. Pie cer
tainly was imposed upon the demo
cratic party and all because -democrats
neglected primaries. So my
votes in 189G and 1900 are all I have
politically to look back upon with sat
isfaction. 1 feel that this primary
pledge movement will awaken many
sleoping democrats; also the'trust will
awaken many. I am glad to see so
many responding to the first roll call
with their pledge and their commend
ation. I herewith enclose pledge
filled out and properly sisned. I am
absent from my county at present and
will likely be the rest of this year, but
win nicely have opportunities, to at
tend primaries long before' 1908. God
speed to the primary reform. I am a
Missouri democrat.
1904. I will never vote for any of
his like if I know it. The primary
pledge plan has placed me on my
feet once more. We will stop there
unless the fur slips, or we win.
W. J. Reid, Sheridan, Ark. I 'here
with enclose 22 primary pledges and
I hope by so doing- to aid the1 party
in avoiding such blunders as that
made last year. '
F. E. Daugherty,- Goodland5, Kans.
You will find enclosed primary pledge.
I hope that all democrats Will 'take
part and work for the interests of- the
people.
A. B. Wagor, Blue Rapids, Kans.
Enclosed find six names signed to 'pri
mary pledge.
John Flanerty, So. McAlester, 1. T.
I enclose the names of 56 democrats
who have signed the primary pledge.
It contains names of the president and
the two vice presidents and the secre
tary of our democratic club, and also
that of our mayor. I also send you
the names of some good democrats
living in surrounding towns and men
whom I know will take pleasure in
aiding you in your primary work.
J. G. McDonald, Lucas, Mo. I have
been out looking for democratic demo
crats to sign the primary pledge.
Jb'ouna iuy and more to follow.
R. H. Minister, Los Angeles, Calif.
The plan is an excellent one. If all
parties will stand by and act up to
the principles involved, namely viz:
to secure the object desired, an hon
est pledge on the part of every can
didate seeking the suffrages of tlie
people. The moral trend of the na
tion is at a low ebb at the present
in my humble opinion, and the dollar
frenzy is rampant. I fear a stroke
of lightning will be necessary to bring
back proper equilibrium.
Wm. Ayres, Eureka, Calif. Here
with find sheet with 12 names ,t
tached. I have been quite busy or
could have easily filled the page. All
approached signed readily.
Willa W. Viley, St. Louis, Mo.-I
most cheerfully join this primary
army. By 1908 it should number
several million -and with able can
didates march on the enemy, recap
ture the fort of dsmocracy which
plutocracy captured in 1904. As one
Benedict Arnold did not destroy the
Revolutionary army, so a few regi
ments of plutocrats will not destroy
the democratic party. . ;
J. H.f Cash, Pine Creek, Mo. I will
try to get democrats to sign the pri
mary ple'dge1. ' i i
J. J. Sullivan, Wirt, R: R. 2, Jeffer
son County, Irid: Here is my pledge.
I expect to stand by the democratic
party as long he it stands "by the peo
ple. I end.orse your sentiments.
W. R. Knox, Intercourse, Pa. En
closedvfmd primary pledge of Edward
D. Riley. Please send me five blank
'pledges. ' '
J. R. Hildrqth, Uniontown, Kans
Enclosed fjnd two pledges, one signed
by 'me and one by a good neighbor. I
heartily endorse the plan. But it
should have been put forward years
ago and then there vould not have
been so many corrupt politicians.
V. E. Dammon, Leon, la., R. R. 2.
Enclosed find my pledge and order
for ten subscription cards.
Naaman Jackson Shortt, Floyd, Va.
I sign the primary pledge cheerfully.
I send four other signatures. One
is a republican. I am in my 77th
year and have voted the democratic
ticket all my life. I am proud that
I did it, only I cannot brag on last
year. I will do all I can for the good
old democratic cause of Jefferson and
Jackson.
Hill C. Moore, Prescott, Ariz. I &end
two primary pledges. Neither one
of us ever missed a primary.
F. L. Casteel, Democratic Com.
Franklin township, Newton County,
gy
THE PRIMARY PLEDGE t
I promise to attend all the primaries of my party to be held between now andtho'next demo
cratic national convention, nnless unavoidably prevented, and to use my induce to secure a clear,
honest and straightforward dcclaraUon of the party's position on every question- upon which the
voters of the party desire to speak. " " ," 3'
&
Strcet Postofficc.A...
Signed'.' . . .' ..;.,.. . ' ' -' . ' v&i i
I4. '- h
.lyi
Lv
platC ....
County
, i.
Voting precinct or ward
Fill out blanks and mail to Commoner Office, Lincoln, Nob.
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