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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (July 7, 1905)
ftrj TVW -V' -T- tr' The Commoner. JULY 7, 1005 7 DEMOCRATIC EDITORS AND THE PRIMARY PLEDGE ' mw i)ptvi'; i; jt1 -v""' Democratic editors are doing splendid work in favor of the primary pledge plan. A. J. Harder, publisher of the Cunningham (Wash.) Gazette, and the Paha (Wash.) Hub, writes: Your crusade for the primary pledge should attain succesB for the people's interests that havo been filched by dishonest party leaders. I shall very soon take it up in both o my papers and push it hard. Will send you clippings and also intend to run the pledge. Yours for success. Sam C. Carroll, editor of the Stockton (Kans.) Post, writes: Gentlemen: Enclosed find two primary pledges, one signed by myself and the other by an another democrat in this county. Best wishes. The Hardy (Ark.) Herald, edited, by Boen Phillips, says: We .desire to call the attention of the democrats to the primary pledge, sent out by W. J. Bryan and advocated by him through The Commoner. It is easy to understand and contains nothing to bind a democrat to do what he should not do. It is a plain and simple prom ise to attend all primary elections of the demo cratic party unless unavoidably prevented. This every democrat should do without a pledge, and for that reason it does no harm, and does not bind any one signing it to do any rash or incon siderate act. The Herald heartily endorses, and recommends the plan sent on foot by Mr. Bryan. The main trouble with us in this country is the fact that we are inactive in organization. Each one feels that lie is already as good a democrat as he can be, and that organization will not mako him any better. But this is not the view to take of such matters. A man may be a good demo crat, but unless he does something, he does not help the cause any. The active democrats are the ones who establish and maintain' the principles of the patty. The organization of democrats is not so much t5make them better democrats, but to bring ' about uctidn in a united effort to Tnain tain and' carry out the principles of the party and signing of the -primary pledge is one step in the direction of united action at the polls, rt is by action largely that we become interested and each step leads on to greater interest until we become thoroughly aroused in the cause. Hence let's take the first step in the campaign of 1908, by signing the primary pledge, and from that work up a lively interest in the party that we may be ready to do battle for equal rights and govern ment l)y the consent of the governed. Sign the primary pledge and forward it to The Commoner,, or leave it at the Herald office whence it will be forwarded to The Commoner. T. W. Hunter, editor Sun, Hartshorn, I. T. Enclosed herewith I hand you pledge duly signed, and want to add it is my opinoin that this .plan will prove the most effective means of uniting the democratic osts of anything that could be sug gested. I believe it will cause people to think, as they hav.e never thought before, and when fully awakened to the situation I nave abundant confidence in the hope that the "mud-sillers" the common people will rally as one man to the sup port of democratic principles as proclaimed "by the illustrous Jefferson, when we shall then witness the dawn of a new era -a government of, for and by the people as against the present order of things with a growing tendency to the bad, of a government of, for and by the grafters. We, of this, the Indian Territory, political orplianage, of all people feel most the blight of republican car pot bag misrule, and the longer it remains this the more converts are made to democracy. But just wait till the democrats gain a chance to vote and if they don't send the last mother's son of these carpet baggers home to stay, we shall lose our bet. The Rochester (Pa.) Commoner, edited' by Charles It. Eckhert, says: We call the attention of our readers to an article by W. J. Bryan pub lished in this issue.' Mr. Bryan pictures 'present conditions in vivid terms, but not tne least ex aggerated. Those wlio have stopped to study present conditions and present tendencies, will realize at once the perfection of the Nebraskan's pen picture. It is a matter of congratulation, however, that 'the insane rush to absoluteism haB about run its course, and that the pendulum of public opinion is beginning to recede back into a saner and safer realm. All the signs of tho ' times indicated that there is an awakening nmong tho masses, and that the era of frenzied finance, franchise grabbing and public plundering is to pass into history. Mr Bryan is in his happiest vein, and strikes a sublime note in his appeal to the people. Tho era of graft and corruption will come to a sudden end tho moment tho moral sense of tho masses will bo outraged at tho ravages of tho special privilege seekers and their hired attorneys and well trained handy-men. And only when tho moral nature of the masses becomes sensitivo enough to be shocked at the public wrongs per petrated in the name of law, can wo hope for the permanent and eternal passing of the era of graft. As long as the citizen-voter regards the public service as a legitimate Hold for graft ing and plundering, little need we expect in the lino of reform. True and lasting reforms begins with the individual. "The heart, ay's the part ay, That makes us right or wrong," says Burns. And he is right. The heart is tho seat and center of that reform that means something for a higher and better life. All else will fail. No matter how great or rich or wise we may become, unless we culti vate the graces of the heart all will bo in vain. "It is good to do good, it is right to do right, because that alone satisfies the longings of the moral law within the seat of all power and hap piness. In this connection wo also wish to remind our readers that the work of restoring the na tion to its former position of honor and moral power is a patriotic task, from which none should shrink. Mr. Bryan is leading the movement for higher and better things bravely and well. Ho needs your sympathy, your help, your aid. You can help him, yourself and the movement by sign ing the primary pledge, published elsewhere in this issue and forwarding it to The Commoner, Lincoln, Neb. Join the army of the men who are making for righteousness. Sign the primary pledge. In a letter addressed to The Commoner; Mr. Eckhert says: "The enclosed editorial was pub lished in the Rochester (Pa.) Commoner in its issue of June 9, 1905. We are battling for tho cause of righteousness as best wo can, knowing that an effort for good is never In vain. We wish you abundant success and are always ready to aid you in your battle for truth.. The Western News, published at Hamilton, Montana, and edited by Miles Romney says: Mr. Bryan is actively engaged in a work of vital im portance to the democratic party and that is its reorganization by the rank and file. The plan is simple. It recognizes the right of the democratic voters to control the policy and determine its position upon public questions of the democratic party. Under this plan it will bo utterly impossible for a syndicate again to perpe trate such a fiasco as tho Parker campaign of last year. Let each democrat pledge himself to attend all of the primaries of his party to be held be tween now and the next democratic .national con vention, unless unavoidably prevented, and to use his influence to secure a clear, honest and straightforward declaration of the party's posi tion on every''question upon which the voters of the party desire to speak. Sign the pledge that will be found elsewhere in this issue and forward either to tho Western News or direct to The Commoner at Lincoln, Neb., and your name will be enrolled among the demo cratic hosts who are determined thatjn 1908 tho democratic party shall go before the people with a democratic candidate standing squarely for democratic principles. The Clinton county (Ohio) Democrat, pub lished at Wilmington and edited by J. S. Hummel, says: The work of organizing the "rank and file" of the democratic party for the campaign of 1908, which William J. Bryan is conducting through the columns of The Commoner, by the "primary pledge" system, printed In the Democrat several months ao, is proving fruitful of the most grati fying results. What is meant by the "primary pledge" is an agreement on the part of the person signing the pledge to attend all primaries and conventions of the party within the precinct and county, when possible, until the campaign of 1908-. This Is in lino with the broad democratic faith in tho masses and of tho right of majority rulo. By this means selfish and unscrupulous tnanipulatoru can bo prevented from falsifying party sontlmont, and men direct from tho pcoplo and honestly re flecting tho sentiments of tho men behind tho ballots will be sent as delegates to tho next na tional convention, and tho will of tho majority will prevail in tho making of a platform and tho nomination of the presidential candidate. The plan has met with hearty responses from all parts of tho country. Tho mags of democrats "ivo as surances of cooperation. For a number b weeks past several pages of The Commoner lulvo been occupied each week with brlof extracts from tho letters of prominent and active democrats who are cooperating with Mr. Bryan in this movement. In a letter to Tho Commoner Editor Hummel writos: "J herewith enclose a clipping from tho Democrat touching tho progress of the "primary pledge" movement and tho enthusiastic response it is meeting from leading domocrats In all part of the country. Tho great mass of tho domocrats In this part of the country arc in hearty sympathy with the plan and have every faith in It working out to the best interosts of tho country and the party in tho next presidential campaign. There is no danger of tho democratic party going wrong if tho will of tho majority prevails In the next national convention." The Loxington (Ky) Gazette, edited by E. S. Kinkead, reproduces the form of tho primary pledge, and says: In another part of the Gazette we have published, since its incoption in tho latter part of March, an editorial taken from Tho Com moner, Mr. Bryan's paper, together with a blank entitled "The Primary Pledge." While tho odl torial fully Indicates tho occasion that 'called it forth, and emplaslzes the object Intended to be accomplished, yet, we deem the matter of ouch importanco that we agalri call the attention of our readers espoclally to it. Aa all power jminates from tho peoplp in our republican form (,l govern ment, It in absolutely essential that io source from which that power springs, shall Inflect the correct sentiment of an enlightened sovereignty. If the democratic party desires to bo successful or deserves to succeed, it can bo accomplished alone through the Instrumentality of an untram meled expression of the rank and file of tho party. The Commoner has published from week to week a voluminous number of responses from democrats and from many who have not heretofore affiliated with the partyfi from every section of the union, which Is indicative of the conclusion that tho peo ple are aroused to the seriousness of tho situa tion, and are prepared to co-operate in perfecting an organisation that will meet the full expecta. tion of the rank and file of the party. In no other way can remedial legislation be hoped for except through tho instrumentalities of applied demo, cratic principles. The republican party has long since indicated its intention of perpetuating itself even to tho point of making "tho millions slaves, hewers' of wood, drawers of water, heavers of coal, beggars, starvelings, lunatics and highway men." It is therefore Importa t, beyond compare, that the democratic party should arouse itself to a full realization of tho present situation, and lend its united force toward tho suppression of the evils that have eminated from long republi can license. We cannot have two republican par ties in this country. And it is worthy of' considera tion, that the democratic principles are so entirely antithetical with the doctrines advocated and applied by the republican party, that if success alone was tho measure of enjoyment, it could never be obtained by an attenyft to infringo upon the unlawful and destructive ground which has long been under tho pre-emption or that party, as sisted by its allies, which It has nurtured and sus tained. We again urgo upon you to co-operate in this great movement. Its success "and the success of tho democratic party and tho hope of the country, is involved in your determined action. Tho rank and file of the democratic party can always be trusted. And this plan that has been suggested "should appeal to all who believe in the rule of the people," and that through their instrumentality the final triumph of justice and of righteousness must come. Buckle therefore, on your armor for the battle has already begun! Thousands of your brothers are already in tho field. i X I! 4 fertt&vi.1'? irrtwjjN- tf