y jwf - '
The Commoner
JULY 28, 1905
9
NOW LENDS A HAND TO THE PRIMARY PLEDGE PLAN
- f-wjr'me'W iKWrmrw - "W"fW -9 '
on the reportorial staff of-the Rocky
Mountain News. I afterwards ran the
Fort Collins Argus for three years,
doing what I could for my party. I
came back here two years ago on
account of my wife's health, but ex
pect to be back in dear old Colorado
by another year, helping to redeem
the state from the scoundrels who
counted Alva Adams out. Anything
I can do for you in southwest Mis
souri let me know. Yours for the
good of united democracy.
John C. Lawyer, Tennessee, 111.
Bearing in mind that one attains his
majority the day before the anniver
sary of his birth, and tomorrow be
ing my twenty-first birthday I send
you today my primary pledge.
G. L. Babcock, South New Berlin,
N. M. Please send me twelve pri
mary pledge blanks. I think your plan
for the next campaign is all right.
A. W. Bass, Lakeview, Mich. I
want to let you know that I think your
plan a good one and hope it will win.
I don't think we have many strong
democrats here for - we can't get
enough together to hold a primary,
but I shall try and cct as many as
I can to attend the republican primary
and hold one of our own if possible.
Hoping you success.
S. C. Harsh, Ponca City, Okla.
Enclosed find list of 35, who have
signed-the pledge. It is very little
trouble to get democrats to sign the
pledge in this section of the country.
We have very few gold democrats
hero. A few more decisions like the
one in the Santa Fe railroad case
will, I think, land us safely in 1908.
If it is not asking too much I would
like for you to send a copy of The
Commoner to those that have signed
the pledge. Best wishes for the suc
cess of W. J. Bryan and The Com
moner. Sam P. Moore, Jefferson City, Mo.
T certainly believe In the primary
plan. It is the only way to get the
true sentiment of the people, and the
people can always be trusted if they
are not led astray by corrupt politi
cians. Had not a majority of the
counties in Missouri had primaries
last year we would have a republican
governor or something worse at this
time. One plank in the national
platform should be: We, the demo
crats in national convention assem
beled believe in the election of Uni
ted States senators by popular vote
and pledge ourselves to work to that
end.
C. B. Etrheim, Balaton, Minn.
There are a few democrats in my
township and I think I see some hope
of the number growing. We have no
democratic organization though, and
I herewith enclose my pledge to do
what I can to make the democrats of
some force in my community.
J. V. Swift, Benton, Wis.- You will
please find enclosed primary pledge.
I intended signing It from the first
time It appeared in the Commoner,
but kept putting it off from time to
time. I heartily endorse the plan and
think it is a duty which every good
citizen owes to society that he attend
the primaries and see that none but
good men be sent to represent the
people in all conventions, both county,
state and national and that they take
a prominent part in framing the plat
forms of their party. If they do this
I am firmly convinced that in a very
short time a great many of the abuses
which have crept into our public af
fairs would very soon be eradicated.
And who is to blame for those abuses?
It is the people themselves. Why .1
have been told time and time again
by men, "What difference does it
make to me who is sent as delegates
to the county, state or national con
ventions?" This is where the very
root of the evil lies. They stay away
from the primaries and those who are
interested in a pecuniary way will bo
sure to attend and send delegates who
will frame a platform and nominate
candidates who are in full sympathy
with them or men whom they will
know will do their bidding. But if the
voters will attend all the primaries
and exercise their full rights. as citi
zens the Shylocks will not have their
way, and tho result would be that
good men would be sent to every con
vention who would frame a platform
and nominate candidates who would
have the welfare of the whole people
at heart, and not the special interests
of the few. And until the voters at
tend the primaries and do this we
need not expect a government of tho
people, for the people and by tho
people.
T. J. Donnell, Oklahoma City, 0. T.
You will find enclosed my primary
pledge. I am more than glad to en
dorse tills move. I have always at
tended tho primaries and never miss
an election and vote tho democratic
ticket. I should have sent you this
pledge long since, but neglected to
but it is never too late to do good.
The Commoner is a welcome weekly
visitor and always full of good read
ing. I don't know-how I could get
along without it. If all so called dem
ocratic papers would show up the po
litical rottenness as The Commoner
does we would have better govern
ment. It did me great good to grasp
W. X Bryan's hand, when ho was
here on last Tuesday. Thousands
looked into his face and wished him
godspeed on his noble mission.
Samuel H. Myrant, Statesvillo,.Mo.
I am sending in tho primary pledge.
I have always been a democrat, that
is a democrat that believes in the
sacred words of tho Declaration of
Independence and I hope that the peo
ple will awaken and seize the oppor
tunity to assert their rights before the
chains of slavery are fastened upon
them so tight that the earth will
tremble when the shackles of slavery
are thrown off their shoulders. If
the democratic party is ever to come
to the rescue of the laboring class
of people to save them from being
oppressed and enslaved by tho or
ganized trusts, and money powers of
our country, every democrat must
necessarily attend all primaries and
express his sentiments and not de
pend on some boss to do so for him.
It behooves every man to provide for
his own household. I think it is every
man's duty to read good papers and f
books, and study every question for
himself. I road a good many papers,
yet I find none so onllthtenlng as tho
faithful old Commoner. It is not only
enlightening from a political view, but
it is educational in the broadest senso
of tho word. If every man and woman
and child would read and not only
read, but study Tile Commoner as
a diligent scholar studies his books,
there would no longer be trusts to ex
ploit and rob tho laboring class of
people of what they earn and whose
great wealth gives tl mi greater pow
er than a king. Neither would there
be poor people suffering for want of
food and clothing in the midst of
plenty, of which they had helped to
produce. I hope the good work may
go on, and the rights of mankind will
triumph in 1908. Yours for success.
M. C. Benham, M. D., Richmond.
Ind. I hand you my pledge which I
think is a good move and is tho be
ginning of the much needed organiza
tion of the good old democratic party.
The people must advance democracy,
or be enslaved by plutocracy.
W. D. Millen, Pioneer, Mo. -Enclosed
you will please find $3.00 for
renewals, also 17 pledges duly signed
up. We heartily endorsed your pri
mary pledge. Tho Commoner is all
the political paper I read. I think it
is doing more good than any other
paper published. Your article "Back
to tho People," is the best I ever read
on the subject. If you sec fit you
can send me some sample copies of
Tho Commoner. I mink I can use
them to good advantage. May the
good work The Commoner is doing
continue till true democracy shall
prevail in these United States of ours.
J. M. Polk, Prentiss, Miss. En
closed please find my primary pledge.
I heartily endorse the plan recom
mended by you for marshaling tho
democratic forces in 1908. It is a very
great pity that men will not consider
their own interest in matters apper
taining to our government, and help
to elect good men to office. I do not
know if it would not be a good law to
compel taxpayers to vote as well as
to compel them to pay taxes, because
they are so closely allied to each
other. But tax payers will stay at
home on election days, and then
"cuss" the system of government. I
am perfectly sure that if all democrats
would do their luty, we could have a
better set of laws than we have. Suc
cess to The Commoner.
George W. Rogers, Albion, Mich.
Friends of tho co mon people:
I send you primary pledge which I am
proud to sign. My first democratic
vote was In 189C. Am glad I voted
It nnd as tho years roll along devel
opments prove that It is right.
Alox. II. Lcltch, Dayton, Ohio. En
closed please find 32 Hlgncd primary
pledges more, being C2 now In all
I have sent you for registration bo
sldos my own pledge.
Milton V. Jackson, Vale, S. D.
Plenso find enclosed prlmnry plodgo
signed by true blue democrats from
this strong republican district. At
tho first two elections in South Da
kota I was the only democrat In Valo
precinct. Depend on mo to always
stand firm for tho democracy of Juf
forson, Jackson and Bryan.
Robert S. Thurman, St. Louis, Mo.
Enclosed find primary plodgo which I
heartily endorse. Leaders, so called,
generally control conventions, and
they often do violence to the popular
will. It Is to bo hoped that the ex
pediency dodge has been so thorough
ly tried, and has so disgracefully
failed, that these leaders will bo wise
enough not to encumber tho next
presidential campaign with it. The
only hope of democratic success Is In
a square, open, honest avowal of the
truth. Back to tho people! Tho "any
thing to win" policy gang to tho rear!
Joseph Rubison, Republic, Mo.
Please find enclosed 13 names to the
primary pledge plan. I have been a
constant reader of The Commoner
since tho first issue. 1 have been a
llfo long democrat and will follow
where Bryan leads, believing that
right will prevail. I am in for an;,
other strong pull. Best wishes to tho
Commoner and tho primary plodgo
plan.
J. W. Jones, BInta, Ark. Enclosed
you will find primary pledge signed.
I am heartily in favor of your plan.
I attend all primaries held In my coun
ty and for the past five years filled
the clerk's and seven times the judge's
place at all of the elections that havo
been had.
R. G. Chapman, Mesqulte, Tex.
Enclosed find list of 35 pledges; am
always willing and ready to do what
I can for the cause of democracy, as
I tell the people here I am willing to
risk Bryan; what he says and does
is all right and I stay with him.
John M. Copeland, Telllco Junction,
Tenn. Enclosed find primary pledge.
There is no better plan for thorough
organization.
i
t
THE PRIflARY PLEDGE
I promise to attend all the primaries of my party to be held between now and the next demo
cratic national convention, unless unavoidably prevented, and to use my influence to secure a clear,
honest and straightforward declaration of the party's position on every question upon which tho
voters of tho party dsiro to speak.
Signed ". . .
:
:
Hr - m. j fc j&L. t jiAk j .fck . jL. .fcw L. jL. ..
WWwvwVWWWwwwwwv ww wrww-r-w
Street ,
Poitoffice State,
County Voting precinct or ward,
Fill out blanks and mall to Commoner Office, Lincoln, Neb.
l