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The CommoneT.
VqLTJMH B, NUMBER jT
s
ENCOURAQEI1ENT TO THOSE WHO LOSE HOPE
Many of the letters received at The Commoner office with respect to the
primary pledge plan are written by men who have grown gray in the service
of the democratic party. In many instances men of sixty-five, seventy and
ceventy-five years of age have taken the trouble to circulate the primary
pledge, and in some instances men who have passed the eighty-year mark
have actively interested themselves in this work. These aged warriors have
set a good example to their younger colleagues. A very little effort on the
part of every reader" of The Commoner will result in adding many names to
the primary pledge roll. The extracts from letters printed in The Commoner
provide great encouragement to thosi who have lost hope.
Congressman J. Thomas Hcflin, writing from LaFayette, Alabama, says:
, "I have read with a great deal of pleasure your timely suggestion upon
; the duty and necessity of democrats attending the party primaries, and I
j heartily endorse the plan. Great good will come from this movement. 1
have signed The Commoner's primary pledge."
Every reader is urged to lend a hajid in this work of organization
The work Is progressing at a gratifying rate, but the field is such a large one
that It will be necessary for every democrat who can do so to actively in
terest himself in the movement. Don't withhold your pledge because you
always attend primaries. You can help the work by setting a good example
for your careless colleague. Send in your own pledge. Then ask your
neighbor to sign. It will require time to cover the entipe field, but if demo
crats 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 un
avoidably prevented, and to secure 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 page 9.
Extracts from letters to The Com
( moner follow:
m W. , F. Sapp, chairman democratic
state committee, Topeka, Kansas.
Enclosed find five primary pledges.
A. H. Bellinger, Gloversville, N. Y.
I send you twenty-four primary
pledges.
J. W. Hill, Peoria, 111. Enclosed
find eleven primary pledges.
J pv-W. J(ail(lcr,.jG,lQYersville; N. Yrz
I enclose twenty pledges."
G. E. Dingman, Evanston, 111. I en-
close twelve primary pledges.
i. M. 0. Wekal, Huron. Ohio. I send
( you twenty primary pledges.
. M. V. Sheldon, McCook, Nebr. En
1 closed yotf will find twenty primary
. pledges.
1 G. O. Walker, Rochester, N. H. En
closed find primary pledge with thirty
, five signatures.
T. 0. Waite, Myrtle, Ark.- I here
with hand you sixteen signatures to
primary pledge.
George H. Hunter, Waterproof, La.
You will find enclosed fifty sitma-
turcs to the primary pledge. I assure
you that every one or these men will
work for the success of true democ
1 racy.
Thomas H. Harbour, Hurricane, W
Va. I beg leave to hand you twenty
signatures to the primary pledge.
J. L. Kennedy, Brooklyn, N. Y. I
enclose seven primary pledges.
Harold H. Houghton, N. Manchester,
Ind. Enclosed please find twenty sig
natures to the primary pledge.
sometime ago. I am seventy-three
years old. I have voted the demo
cratic ticket ever since I was old
enough to vote. I think this is the
best a democrat can do. Send me an
other blank. I will try to have it
filled out. Best wisnes for The Com
moner. N. M. Murdoch, Miami, Fla. En
closed find my primary nledce. It is
a .Rood-idea, an agreement to do some-
J1.1 T.11. I " !.- T
uunij. rvutiiing succeeus line success.
you put the cookies on the lower shelf
where all the children qan reach. I
like to be associated with enternrise
where there is nrocress whero
things are being accomplished. Ninety-nine
democrats out of one hundred
are sure to be pleased with the pri
mary pledge plan. It has aroused an
interest that is increasing with each
number from California to Florida.
All along The Commoner's tow line is
grasped and a sturdy pull will land
me titai wave of equal rights over
our Deioved country in 1908.
E. W. Lee, Tintah, Minn. I enclose
with pleasure my primary pledge. J
have taken The Commoner since it
started and am as well pleased with It
now as ever, as it has never swerved
from the straight path of duty. To
day W. J. Bryan has ,without doubt
a greater hold on the minds of the
unprejudiced and thinking people of
this nation than ever before. The
Commoner has had no small aim
in bringing about the investigation of
Jno. Mouroy, Catawissa, Pa, I send tne methods of the differont unlawful
u primary pledge signed by thirty- combines of this country. Mr. Bryan's
article in tne July 7 Commoner en
titled "The Real Defenders of Prop
erty" is alone worth the subscription
price for several-years, and the car
toon "Whip the Horse" in the same
issue is very suggestive. Mr. Roose
velt himself ought not to object to
it, as he at the beginning of his jui-
ministration advocated "publicity" as
a remedy for evil practices.
Jametf H. Carroll. Spring Garden. Till
Enclosed find forty-one names to
the primary pledge. If I had time I
could get every democrat in Jefferson
county to sign this pledge. I haven't
asked a single man who refused.
They seem to think the plan is just
the thing, and furthermore the demo
crats in Jefferson county urn vnrv
hungry for Bryan food. We consider
the plan to bo the only food we have
you primary pledge signed by thirty
,'iivo democrats.
.. Jno. Mourey, Catawissa, Pa. I send
.you twenty signatures to the primary
pledge. Every good democrat who
fhas the interest in his party and good
government at heart should endorse
-this plan.
V ' E. M. Cooper, Clinton, Mo. Enclosed
.flnd fifteen primary pledges. -
' John Beaver, Avondale, O. -After
my next birthday I will be in my
.eightieth year, so you will infer that I
cannot do a great deal to help you, but
I will always do what I can. I wish
.you every success, and hope that
through your influence the party may
Vet be put upon a solid basis.
'' Granville Canterbury, Red Sulphur
Springs, W. Va. I send you thirty-
tflve pledges.
' ' A. M. McBride, Ava, 111. You will
vflnd the names of twenty 6n this
pledge. I sent you twenty names
majority in 1896 to complete defeat
in 1904 in this county. I believe with
a genuine democrat at the head of our
ticket Jefferson county would roll up
the same one thousand majority.
C. W. Goode, Waynesboro, Pa. I
am jm admirer of the primary pledge
plan.
James Allen, Fontana, Kans. I am
going to send in the oldest name on
your roll. I am doing this at his re
quest.' He' will be ninety-one Sep
tember 20, 1905. Pie is an old wheel
horse, and never voted the republican
ticket in his life. He says he hopes
to live to vote for a democrat in
1908. He was in Kansas when "Little
Mac" ran for president. His son Rob,
takes The Commoner. He drives to
town four miles, sometimes rides
horseback. I am getting primary
pledge signatures. Will send them
in in a little while. The name of this
old wheel horse is Michael Allen.
J. Sam Gosney, South Omaha, Neb.
I herewith enclose my primary
pledge just to help the cause along.
I have always attended my party's pri
maries as I have always considered
that to be my duty as a democrat
The Commoner is doing much to edu
cate the people to protect themselves
against further encroachments unon
their personal liberties by powerful
corporations and trusts which are
daily increasing Instead of diminish
ing. . You know where F stand. Long
may The Commoner live to spread
broadcast among the people the prin
ciples of Jefferson, Jackson and
Bryan.
H. V. Best, Gloversville, N. Y.
Please find enclosed forty names to
the jprimary pledge. I also add my
nanie foyour"ariny Qt true democrats,
which I trust will growtTnrach'"an ex
tent that it will lead us to victory in
1908. In my election district every
thing, is overwhelmingly republican,
but that has not shaken my belief in
democratic principles. I would rather
be in the minority than be with a
party that gains its victories with
campaign funds furnished by the
trusts. Please send me some more
I primary pledge blanks.
D. R. Francis, Columbus, Nebr.
You will find enclosed my primary
pledge. I endorse the plan.
James R. Crofoot, Wayland, Mich.
Enclosed find primary pledge which
I cheerfully sign. I had intended to
send the pledge a long time ago, but
have been very busy. I know of no
better time to sign the pladge than
on the anniversary of the signing of
the Declaration of Independence. We
wish to thank Mr. Bryan for the good
work he is doing in the cause of hu
manity, and we hope to see the prin
ciples for which he contends win in
the near future. I wish The Com
moner success in tl.o good work- it
is doing.
Jesse W. 'Porter, Hardy, Ark. En
closed is my primary nledce. Wo are
sick of rings and cliques. If we had
spoken at the primaries Parker nover
would have been the nominee. I fully
oeneve m the principles of democracy
which represent the will and vniro nf
the people expressed at the primaries.
H. M. Payne, Hamburg, la. Cir
cumstances prevented my doing this
work at once, but when I did get a
day off I found the boys alive and
the work easy. Thirty-five of them
cheerfully signed, and they mean it.
Please send me another blank and-1
will return it with as many names
as possible from other fields, where I
shall be for the next two weeks.
BeBt wishes to The Commoner and its
editor.
had since the Kansas Citv niaffnrm
for we have gone from one thousand ' R. H. Beauchamp, Santa Cruz, Calif,
Please find enclosed signers to thn
primary pledge. We are nil i -.
of Santa Cruz except one. YZ
hick, wuen x received the blank from
you, and mislaid it, but have cut i
pledge out of my paper hope it will
do. Best wishes for The Commoner
and its friends.
P. H. Schroeder, Lake Andes, S. D
Please find enclosed primary pleitee'
signed by me. All democrats should
sign it, as it surely has a tendency to
make a stronger party and without
doubt will roll out a much large
vote in 1908 than would be the cn
without it.
J. E. Venard, Wilmington, O.l
herewith send you a list of eleven
names, all of democrats who helieve
in true democracy. Although thero
are but eighteen or twenty of us in
this precinct we expect to do our
share or a little more in the work of
reform.
L. . R. Traylor, Coffeen, 111. The
democrats of this place are in favor
of this movement.
F. M. Hall, Mehawa, Oregon.I en
close herewith the primary pledge
signed.. There are very few demo
crats in this precinct: I began voting
the democratic ticket in 1856 by vot
ing for James Buchanan.
A. Kern, Crestline, O. Enclosed
find primary pledge. Keep the good
work up. I am a Bryan democrat
and don't you forget it. In old Craw
ford county there ,are many more.
David Cooper, Manson, Tenn. I en
close my name and seven others to
wour primary pledge. I heartily en
dorse the free silver plank of 1900. 1
voted for W. J. Bryan in 1906 and 1900.
K. K. Harrison, 'Fence, Wis En
closed please find primary pledge
from one of your ' friends.
A. P. Harmon, Neal, Kan. I feel
it my duty, as well as pleasure, to
write you in support of your primary
pledge plan. The next day utter I re
ceived your letter I was thrown from
a horse and badly crippled. As I am
getting old I will be seventy-five in
August this is the excuse for delay
in getting signers. I want to see this
good work go on, and will do all I
can for the good cause. My first
vote for president was for Franklin
Pierce. I am doing all I can for this
cause. I attend all the primaries and
work for the election of good men as
delegates.
M. J. Steele, Steele Idaho. I here
with enclose my- primary pledge. I
heartily endorse the plan and shall
do all in my power to assist in the
good work. I have been an earnest
worker in the democratic ranks for
thirty years and expect to remain
there as long as "W. J." leads.
George H.' Thompson, Lake, Ind.
Please find enclosed primary pledge.
As I haven't seen anything from demo
crats of our precinct I feel it is time
we get to work to push Mr. Bryan fl
great plan of organization. wj
Bryan democrats first, last and all tuo
time. Send me a lot of primary
pledges and I will do all I can to
forward the plan.
David Stoner, Rockford, O. I uavo
been a subscriber to The Commoner
ever since its publication, and nave
never regretted it. I supported iw
editor both times he has -been a cau
didate. I am in my seventy-first year.
I have one request' to make. I wuj
ask you to have the advertisement
you have in the paper about tne u
quirer and Commoner removea.
have taken the Enqnirer a great maw
years, but have always dubteu
democracy, and nowvtthat he nas
the party entirely I am glad. x
will find the pledge' signed and
names that are on it are true i
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