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JULY 14, 1905'
The Commoner.
7
WORK OF DEMOCRATIC EDITORS
The work of the democratic press is begin
ning to tell in favor of the" primary pledge or
ganization. The democratic editors are very gen
erally lending a Jiand, and as a result The Com
moner is receiving, primary pledges from all sec
tions of the country.
The Democratic Standard, published at Ash
tabula, Ohio, says: No political party can get
next to the people and command the support of
the people without placing a strong guard at the
primaries. Here is where the minority rules
and controls a political party. The primary cam
paign inaugurated by Mr. Bryan will be endorsed
by all who believe in democratic principles. Let
every democrat attend the primaries and the re
sult will be a strong, united and victorious demo
cratic party. Sign the primary pledge -at once.
The Minneapolis Journal, referring to tho
primary pledgo says: "It is high time that Mr.
Bryan was sounding a rallying cry, if anything
tangible is to" be saved to democracy in the west
out of the wreck of the last election. Last fall a
majority of tho democrats who had followed
Bryan in states like Minnesota, Iowa and the
Dakotas, voted for Roosevelt, believing that he
came nearer representing democr: 'o principles
than their own nominee. That. wholesale deser
tion loosened their allegiance to democracy. Tho
men. who voted for Roosevelt by that act cast
themselves adrift from party moorings. They
are apt to land almost anywhere next year. Such
a rallying effort as Mr. Bryan is making seems
imperative. No democratic candidate for presi
dent ever approached the vote Bryan received
in Minnesota in 1896 and 1900. Grover Cleve
land was given 104,385 votes in 1888 and 100,920 in
1902. Tha Bryan wavo reached its high point in
1896 when 130,735 votes were cast for him in
Minnesota. Before the next presidential election
a constitutional amendment barred those who
only held first papers from voting, and in 1900
the vote decreased, Bryan dropping to 112,901.
Parker's .vote in Minnesota last fall ws 55,187
less than half of Bryan' lowest vote. Of the total
loss of 57,000, about 30,000 went to swell tho
Roosevelt vote and 8,000 was turned to Debs and
socialism. Another 2,000 returned to populism
and voted for Tom Watson. The other 17,000
evidently stayed at home and solved their por
plexity by not voting at all. Tho Parker voters,
probably the majority of them, voted the ticket
under protest, and the Parker element of the
party in Minnesota is a poor nucleus to build
from. The best politics for democracy is evi
dently to follow the Bryan standard again. Those
who sign the Bryan pledge will not go into the
republic:.. primaries next summer, as many of
them did last year. Tho habit or voting in re
publican primaries is likely to make a man a re
publican in time, and Mr. Bryan has started none
too soon to become a fisher of men once more."
John V. Shepler, editor of the Pawnee (Okla.)
Courier-Dispatch, in a letter to The Commoner
writes: "My paper has been and is carrying The
Commoner's primary outline and feel that it is
the very thing to awaken interest, in the line of
real democracy."
Homer Sheridan, city editor of the Mt. Clem--ens
(Michigan) Leader, writes: "Enclosed please
find my pledge as a renewal of my promise to
stick to the faith of my fathers. A southerner
born and reared, I was probably a democrat
'because Daddy was,' but despite a dozen years
of active newspaper work in the north Ohio,
Indiana and Michigan-1! am a better democrat
than ever, because I know why. No more com
promises, nothing but straightforward democracy,
that must be our aim. Yours for it."
The Star, published at San Francisco and
edited by James H. Barry, referring to primary
elections in general says: "The political bosses
have prostituted our primary elections to tho
basest uses. The first consideration with them
Is the control of tho 'machine;' the last con
sideration is the welfare of San Francisco. If
the people want, good government, they must
give more attention to the primaries. It is not
enough to vote for delegates; they should also
select the delegates for "whom they vote. Conven
tions of honest, intelligent men can not be ob
tained in any other way, and without such con
ventions it doesn't matter much how you vote on
election day. Whichever side wins, the pooplo
will lose."
The Washington, Ind., Democrat, edited by S.
B. Boyd, says: "Tho primary pledgo plan inaugu
rated by Mr. Bryan by which every democrat
ploJges himself to attend his party's primaries in
campaigns ought to appeal to tho democrats of
this county. If every democrat takes an honest
and unbiased part in tho party'B primaries with
tho solo purpose of doing tho r possible for,
not only the party, but tho country '. - well, the
democrats will carry this county."
The Algona, Iowa, Courier, edited by Hlnchon
& Finnell, says: "Mr. Bryan urges all democrats
who favor retrenchment and reform to commence
now to organize for 1908. The advice Is good and
should be heeded. He argues that if the repub
lican party docs not carry out in substantial form
the policies advocated by President Roosevelt,
Governor Cummins, Governor LaFollotto, ex-Governor
Van Sant and others, there will certainly
be a defection from the republican party, and
then the democratic party should be in position
to carry out those needed reforms in tho inter
ests of tho people. His reasoning seems good.
But aside from the expectation of any considerable
defection from the republican party, it is the duty
of democrats to awaken and organizo anyhow.
There never was a time when the rights of tho
people were so menaced or actually subverted
by trusts and all protected interests as at tho
present time. If Roosevelt and the few republi
can reformers who have had tho courage to speak
out fail, tho only hope of the people io the demo
cratic party. Then that party should gird its loins
and be prepared for the next great battle. Thero
may be democrats who arc loath to join in tho
plan of organization suggested by Mr. Bryan lost
it might be the means cf reinstating him as tho
leader of the party, but the Courier is not ono
of, them. It has alway3 regarded Mr. Bryan as
a great, an honest and a good man. It felt that ho
was mistaken in 1900 when he forced upon tho
party a rejected and a then impracticable issue,
the free coinage of silver, and it opposed that
policy at that time. But it never doubted Mr.
Bryan's honesty and it would be happy to follow
him again as a party leader. He issued a pledgo
that he would like to have all democrats sign and
forward to Tho Commoner office at Lincoln, Neb.,
and we sign it without hesitation. It is not a
pledge to support Mr. Bryan but simply a pledgo
to aid In revitalizing the democratic party. Wo
would advise every democrat to sign it."
The Penn's Grove (New Jersey) Record, edi
ted by William A. Summerill, says: Mr Bryan's
plan for election of delegates from which tho
future organization of the party will be made,
which plan is outlined below, is timely and tho
most feasible plan to reunite the party. Both
factions have been knocked down and both must
submit to honest primaries, and conventions, be
cause the party can never 'win with such con
ventions and. nominations as wore made last
year. Mutual concessions and confidential co
operation on true democratic principles are the
only things which will win in the future.
In a letter addressed to the editor of thos
Penn's Grove Record, J. Walter Pancoast, says:
In the issue of The Commoner of March 17, Mr.
Bryan published an editorial with the caption
"Back to the People." I hope you can find space
for that editorial in the same issue in which
you print, this letter..
T have looked for comment and indorsement
of that editorial in the organ of the democratic
party of the county. If, any has been made I
have not seen it. It Is believed that tho national
platform and candidate coincided much nearer to
the real sentiment of those now In control than
did the platform of 1896 and 1900.
Therefore, I made this appeal through tho
Journal, whose editor stood then and stands now
in a position not only unequivocal, but cordial
towards both the party platforms and its virilo
candidate in those years.
That the last democratic national convention
was packed to secure Parker's nomination and
the platform which should be acceptable to plu
tocracy of the nation, and to relegate to the rear
the issues of 1896 and 1900, and those similar,
is known to every ono well informed as to what
occurred in tho stato conventions, which elected
delegates thereto.
In Illinois, tho loader of tho mnchino called
ono of his henchmen to tho chair. This man ap
pointed tho various committees and declared
every motion carried in tho Intercut of tho ring
without calling for tho negative. Ho refuged
every motion for roll call, except that for gov
ernor, and only thon because tho dcHlred candi
date would not accopt without it. An over
whelming protest against such high handed work,
was presented to tho national convention, ft lit
that body possibly becauso too nniLy of thorn
knew they hold their own scats through moans
equally Indefensible, refused to correct tho fraud,
or to denounce Ub perpetrators. Tho Chicago
labor men said then and there, that that decision
meant that Illinois would go republican by an
overwhelming majority. They wore true prophets.
Men who attended tho convention at Trenton
to elect delegates to St. Louis, remember how in
county after county, delegates elected by regular
primaries largely attended, were ousted and
others seated in their places, who derlvod their
credentials from a few partisans standing outsldo
tho place of tho rogular meeting. It was oven
attempted to enforce the unit rulo In tho Salom
county delegation, thus permitting a bare ma
jority, a majority including I do not know how
many proxies, to dominate and control tho wholo
delegation. But the courageous and vigorously
expressed opposition of Mr. Georgo W. Hewitt,
and of a delegate from one of the Plttsgrovc's,
tho democracy of neither of whom could bo ques
tioned, warned those urging It to desist. Tho
contestants which such action sent to St. Louis
from New Jersey, of course, were not seated.
As in Illinois and New Jersey, so In other .
states that it could be believed that a platform
formulated and a candidate nominated by dole
gates thus secured could bo respectively endorsed
and elected, except by fraud and tho grossest
bribery, is beyond credence. Tho defeat was
disastrous, humiliating and overwhelming. Tho
way to win political battles is to advocate tho
true interest of tho masses.
Therefore, tho plain pcoplo will ultimately
recognize thoir rights and to voice in legislation
is their Ju.3t demands. No one can so well speak
for themselves. If a man is a genuine democrat,
he will urge and foster tho expression of tho
people's will, and it is tho supremo excellence
of this plan of Mr. Bryan's, that it seems just
that result; regardless whether or not such re
sults coincides with his own views. No man
who believes in democratic government can give
a valid reason for opposing the plan. It has been
endorsed by many leading men in the party. It
will promote harmony. It will hasten success if
tho party shall deserve success.
I suggest the Record print the pledge, and
acknowledge ihe receipt of those returned signed,
and subsequently forward them to The Commoner.
W. J. Bryan is without doubt an honest, able
and eloquent statesman, thoroughly devoted to
tho Interest of tho common people, but he can not,
single handed, win a victory for democratic prin
ciples. He must have help. Will the democrats
of Salem county, who in two campaigns followed
his banner with ardent enthusiasm, give it? I
enclose my pledge. Hopefully yours.
The Graham Guardian, published at Safford,
Arizona, reproduces tho primary pledge form, and
quotes approvingly from an editorial that ap
peared in the Joplln (Missouri) Globe, which edi
torial Is as follows:
"In all his recent speeches of a political char
acter Mr. Bryan has emphasized the necessity of
returning the democratic party to the control of
the people. Mr. Bryan's paper, The Commoner, is
conducting what may be called a 'primary pledge
campaign. The primary pledge is a promise on
the part of every democrat subscribing to it to
participate In every party primary between now
and the next presidential campaign, and by his
vote and voice register the individual expression
of tho principles he wants his party to advocate.
The response which tho Commoner's canvass has
elicited is very gratifying, showing conclusively
that democrats arc taking a lively Interest In the
campaign to be fought in 1908. That such an
interest should exist at this early date is very
significant. Tho Globe Interprets It to mean that ,
tho rank and file of the party don't intend to wit
ness another humiliating fiasco such as occurred
at St. Louis last July."
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