JUNE 301905
The Commoner. n
DEMOCRATIC EDITORS POST THE GOOD WORK
A democratic editor in Alabama writes: "I
ran the notice of primary pledge in my editorial
column and called attention to It by local notice,
asking for pledges, but have received none. There
seems to be not the least interest here in public
matters, other, than where an ofllce is concerned.
Anything William J. Bryan undertakes, will have
our support, but we can not force the horse to
drink."
It will require time . to push this great work
to completion. Democrats need not be discour
aged if it seems difficult at times to arouse inter
est. The primary pledge plan is growing in
popularity and before the work progresses much
farther it is safe to say that in every state in
the union general interest among democrats will
be manifested toward the plan. In the meantime
democratic editors and others who are not de
terred by discouragement will keep pegging
away a great field is to be covered and a great
work will be accomplished, and the field will be
covered and the work will be accomplished if
every democrat will do his part. .
The Nodaway (Missouri) Democrat, published
at Maryville and edited by James Todd says:
"The Commoner, W. J. Bryan's paper, is urging
the primary pledge plan, and it states that re
sponses are coming in from all parts of the
country. The people are in favor of the primary.
Can any good, true democrat oppose it and be
consistent'?"
S. F. Parrott, editor of the Cherokee News,
published at Gaffney, South Carolina, writes:
"As you no doubt know, we have the primary
system in this state and all democrats must
pledge themselves to support the nominee of
the party, from magistrate to president. This
state is solid and will be for years to come.
There seems to be nothing we can do more than
we are doing. We can keep our state in the
ranks of the solid south so long as conditions are
as they are. It would take a revolution, and a
big one at that, to make other than democrats of
the white men of this state. Most of those who
have gone to the republican party have done so
for the office they have or expect to liave. If I
can do anything to help tli cause, command me.
Best wishes for the success of the movement."
Thomas T. Waggoner, editor of the Texola
(Okla.,) Herald writes: "We will be only too
pleased to co-operate with you along the line
of the primary pledge, and will at all times send
you marked copies of the Texola Herald with edi
torials in the interest of the primary pledge. At
any time you think of any thing that might be
to the best Interest of Jeffersonian democracy,
just let us country editors know- about it and
we will show you how much we 'weigh.' See?
Kindest regards and best wishes."
The Clinton (Missouri) Tribune, edited by
Lingle and X,ingle, says: "In his paper, The
Commoner, which should be read 1 y every demo
crat and republican in the union, Mr. Bryan in
sists that the first duty of citizenship Is to exer
cise the franchise, and to do that well every citi
zen should attend the primaries of his party,
and help to nominate only the best men for
official position and then give them hearty sup
port. This is an important suggestion, and the
only way whereby patriotic citizenship can se
cure and keep control of the machinery of gov
ernment in any of its departments. The official
cormorant, the spell-binders and the grafters are
always out in full force, and are often quite
difficult to break loose from the public teat. To
aid this gobd cause along Mr. Bryan prints a form
of pledge in The Commoner for democrats to
sign, pledging themselves to- discharge their citi
zenship duties in this regard. A number of such
pledges have, already been sent The Commoner
frtm this 'county and work in the good cause
should be kept up."
The Rochester (New Hampshire) Record, edit
ed by "Ernest Brown, reproduces the primary
pledge form and The Commoner editorial an
nouncing the plan, and says: "The .plan with
simply a change of the party name would be a
good one for every voter in the United States
to adopt. The primary caucuses shape the whole
party policy and are attended in too many cases
"by a ,mere handful of Interested men. If every
voter had real convictions regarding proper can
didates for office arid used his efforts to secure
true representation of the people ther,a would
be almost a revolution In our government. That
is the men elected to office would be men In
touch with the people whom they represent and
not a part of a political machine whose first care
Is Its own perpetuation and Its second to securo
profit to Its members at public expense for work
done for the machine not for party principles.
The man who believes in the fundamental prin
ciples of any party will have small chance to
vote for these principles on election day unless ho
attend the primaries of his party. Mr. Bryan's
call, therefore, while a call to democrats, Is a call
for all honest voters to attend the primaries of
their party, only Mr. Bryan Is taking measures
to secure this end in the case of democrats."
The Glasgow Times, published at Glasgow,
Ky., and edited by J. M. Richardson, urges the
organization of the democratic party along the
primary pledge plan.
The Western News, published at Hamilton,
Mont., and edited by Miles Romney, reproduces
J:he primary pledge form, and says: "Mr. Bryan
is actively engaged in a work of vital import
ance to the democratic party and that is its re
organizationby the rank and file. The plan is
simple. It recognizes the right of the democratic
voters to control the policy ana determine its
position upon public questions of the democratic
party. Under this plan it will be utterly impos
sible for a syndicate again to perpetrate such a
fiasco as the Parker campaign of last year. Let
each democrat pledge himself to attend all of the
primaries of his party to be held between now
and the next democratic national convention, un
less unavoidably prevented, and to use his influ
ence to secure a clear, honest and straightforward
declaration of the party's position on every ques
tion upon which the voters of the party desire to
speak. Sign the pledge that will be found else
where In this issue and forward either to the
Western News or direct to The Commoner at
Lincoln, Neb., and your name will bo enrolled
among the democratic hosts who are determined
that in 198 the democratic party shall go before
the people with a democratic candidate standing
squarely for democratic principles."
The Xenia (Ohio) Herald edited by George
C. Barnes, says: "We have been interested in
noting the response from democrats all over the
country to the plan of Mr. Bryan for securing
the proper attention by the rank and file of the
party to the details of the organization. Ever
since the plan was broached the pledges have
been piling into The Commoner office. From
every state and from all walks of life they come,
and it is apparent that the conventions leading
up to that of 1908 will not be controlled by the
opponents of reform. We urge our readers to
sign and forward their pledges to attend the con
ventions and primaries of their party."
The Rico (Colorado) News, edited by George
H. Hutt, keeps standing the primary pledge form.
In a letter to The Commoner Editor Hutt says:
"Under separate cover I am sending you four
issues of the Rico News containing the primary
pledge, and Mr. Bryan's editorial. Up to this
writing no response has been received at this
office and I have failed to see notice of any from
this immediate vicinity in the list published by
The Commoner. I do not look upon this as a
discouraging feature, however, as our people are
with Mr. Bryan first, last and all the time. They
don't deem it necessary to sign pledges."
The Shelblna (Mo.) Democrat says: "The
Democrat has before called attention to Mr.
Bryan's plan to secure pledges from all democrats
to attend the primaries of his party, and see that
the right men are sent to conventions and thus
secure good nominations. The pledge Is one every
democrat should make and live up to. Mr. Bryan
through The Commoner is laying special stress
oh this plan. If an active democrat will only cir
culate such a pledge In Shelblna he can get
plenty of signers and the same way in efery
neighborhood in this vicinity. Who will under
take this work? There are good democrats In
every neighborhood in Shelby and Monroe coun
ties, who could spare time enough to circulate
this pledge. A copy 'may be found in this 'paper.
They might also at the same time get subscrip
tions for The Commoner. Mr. Bryan is doing a
great work through that paper for the people, and
all democrats ought to read it."
J. E. Murray, oditor of the Marlcham (Texas)
I Hot, in u letter to The Commonor, says: "About
your primary pledge plan, I believe it is practical
ana well suited to do a groat work for democracy
m the country at largo. In my Immediate field,
howevor, It can't help much. Too much attention
as to bo given to maintaining the 'White Man's
Union, for the common Individual to look after
the state and national democratic party. That
irf left to small politicians who are many times
at varlanco with the rank and file, as they wcro
In last national contest."
Messrs. Clark and Gaas, publisher of the
Monroe County News, Albln, Iowa, in a letter to
The Commoner say: "We have boon running
your appeal occasionally for signatures to the
pledge and have Htrongly endorsed it editorially.
Think quite a number of our people have sent
their names to you, but so far only the enclosed
herewith have responded to us. Wo think It a
grand proposition and sincerely hope It will have
the hearty support of every true democrat in the
nation. With the rank and file of the party on
guard It will bo Impossible for the 'winners' to
repeat the stolen victory that they enjoyed at
the St. Louis convention. Wc shall continue to
do what we can to help the proposition along."
The Brown County Advocate, published al
Depere, Wis., and edited by Hoyrman and Key
pers, reproduces the primary pledge and calls up
on Its readers to co-operate.
The South-east Mlssourlan, published at New
Madrid, Mo., and edited by W. V'.. Waters, keeps
standing the form of the primary pledge, and in
a letter under date of May 26 Mr. Waters says: "I
am willing to help the cause In any way I can."
Charles Purnell, editor of the Indopondent
Democrat, published .at North Platte, Nob., gives
cordial commendation to the primary pledge plan.
D. M. and J. E. Hamlin, editors of the Democrat-Herald,
published at Newkirk, Okla., write;
"Enclosed with this letter you will find several
primary pledges 'duly signed. Wo heartily ap
prove of this plan, believing if those democrats
who havo beon derelict in attending primaries
heretofore can only be made attend, the party
will have no further trouble with the 'safe and
sane' element. Regardless of what any other
state may do you can pin your faith to Oklahoma.
In case statehood Is secured before next election,
which will lot out the true spirit of Oklahoma,
the democratic democrats will have no complaint
of her attitude. Best wishes for the success of
this undertaking."
The Delta Courier, published at Cooper,
Texas, and edited by J. F. Custer,, says: "The
test proposed by William J. Bryan in The Com
moner Is a pledge on the part of every democrat
to attend all the primaries of the party held be
tween now and the next national election, and
endeavor to see that a platform Is adopted in
conformity with honest, straightforward demo
cratic principles. No member of the party, it
seems to us, could object to such a proposition.
In the first place, we know that only a small per
cent of democrats participated In the primafles
in many localities last year. And In the general
election the result was a pitiful dwindling away
of the party's vote. While wo have no excuses
to make for supporting Parker, that seeming at
the time the only alUrnativo for pacifying the
disgruntled east, yet in advocating his nomination
we, like many other democrats, paid a very high
price for very poor fiddling. The east should
have been let go. Six million men shamefully
knuckled under to a few thousand 'beefing,'
bullying, treacherous eastern bosses who couldn't
carry a precinct. They were 'deader' than their
most uncompromising enemies charged them with
being. Even the populists had more vitality. The
lesson democrats should take to heart is that
compromises are wrong and usually unprofitable.
The great democracy is not a gold standard party
and will not follow In the wake of avowed gold
standard advocates. If It is thought the uncondi
tional free coinage is 'inexpedient' just now, men
can at least demand the use of both gold and .
silver as standard money, the coinage being pro
portioned to the demand for each. For our part
wo believe in more silver and less bank paper.
The eastern democracy has frozen Itself to death
hanging around the back door of the republican
kitchen." " ..- . . ' j . n
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