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8
The Commoner.
VOLUME 5, NUMBER
THE PRIMARY PLEDGE PROVIDES THE PLAN
FOR
i
Dr. T. J. Dunbar of Portsmouth, Ohio, has
sent to The Commoner 191 primary pledges. Dr.
Dunbar writes: "Please send more primary
pledge blanks. There .s no trouble f.bout finding
signers even in Ohio. Logan county, West Vir
, ginia; is solidly democratic."
This is the kind t: -work that will insure the
success of the primary pledge plan. It is hoped
t' 't every other Commoner reader who has not
exerted some effort for the primary pledge will
lend a ha- at the earliest opportunity. jJvcn
though yQu make it a practice to attend pri
maries, don't withhold your pledge. By signing
you will - t a good example for your careless
neighbor. This is not to be the work of a day
nor of several days. It is to be the-work of
months and of years. The field is a large one
and to cover it time and effort will be required,
but if democrats 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
domestic national convention, unless unavoidably
prevented, and to secure a clear, honest and
straight-forward declaration of the party's posi
tion on every question upon which the voters of
the party desire to speak. Those desiring to be
enrolled can either write to The Commoner ap
proving the object o the organization and asking
'io havetiieir names entered on the roll, or they
can fill out and mail' the blank pledge, which
is printed on page 9
Primary pledges unaccompanied by letters
have been sent in in numbers as follows: J. T.
Hazen, Avoca, Towa, 25 primary t pledges; A. K.
Crow, Hamilton, Mont., 25; Jame Summers,
?5&rvoy, Iowa, 16; Dave Best, Ardmore, I. T.,
35; V. Ippolit, Newark, N. J., 35; R. C. Tucker,
Parkenly, W. Va., 16; C. J. Horman, Jersey City,
N. J., 35; R. E. Huston, Roseland, Mo., 15; George
W. Courtright, Wheelersbiirg, Ohio, 12; P. A.
Lewis, Seleersburg, Ind, 35; R McQuiddy, Law
renceburg, Ky., 7; W. J. Orchard, South Omaha,
Nebraska, 35; S. G. Preissen, Albany, N. Y., 7;
J. C. Shafer, Edina, Mo., 35.
Extracts from letters received at The Com
moner, office follow:
Elisha Bond, Atkinsville, W. Va., Enclosed
please find .twenty-one primary pledges. "Will do
all I can to help the cause of true democracy.
John W. Irvine, Madison, Mo., Find enclosed
my name and seventy others who have signed the
primary pledge. We think it a good thing for our
party, and endorse it with all our hearts. I haye
always voted the ticket. I was born in Virginia
in 1835; my first vote was for Buchanan. I
stayed with the ticket ever since. I hope to see
a good democrat president. This is from Monroe
county, the banner democratic county ofthe state.
I was only a little while getting . the seventy
names. By taking a little time I could get a thou
sand or more. I want your paper as long as I
live. I could not do without it.
J. W. Harrison, Marshaltown, Iowa, Enclosed'
find my pledge and two others. I cast my first
vote for president in 1840. I am too old to look
up the few democrats in this county I mean
the Jefferson, Jackson and Bryan democrats such
as I am. I wish to live to 19 OS to vote for a eood
democrat for president.
J. N. Angel, Mese Grande, Calif., I have been
slow to serU in my primary pledge as I wanted
to see if there was any objection to it from the
standpoint of. efficiency. After a thorough study
of. XhQ. plan .Ithink it is a good one as far as it
goes, but it does not cover all the ground that
the democracy needs to solidify a party built on
the principles that Jefferson and Jackson advo
cated. Enclosed find my primary pledge until
death calls ine home. Yours in hope of final
victory.
John A. McNeal, Rockbridge. Baths, Va., En
closed you will find my pledge as to the primary
elections. In this connection it would be proper
to state that we are now in the midst of the
greatest political discussion that I have ever wit
nessed in Virginia, and this discussion is pre
paratory of the primary election that takes place
on the 22nd proximo. The Hon. Andrew Jackson
Montague has long been in favor of the primary
plan for nomination of the democratic office
holders, and at our last democratic state con
vention he secured the declaration that the next
United States senator should submit his election
to. the people of Virginia for the senatorship. And
now we have Messrs. Montague and Martin in a
"hilt to hilt" political battle. At this time it is
hard to forecast the result of this great struggle,
but the people are learning many things they
never would have heard tell of if it had not been
fqr this discussion. "Eternal vigilance is the
price of liberty." The Commoner, with the same
brig'.t, clean smile, continues to come, and is
read like a love letter. It is my candid opinion
that the present great political discussion now
going on in Virginia will accomplish more to
enlighten the people than any other political
canvass that has ever occurred in the state.
One of the great reasons is, this is a family af
fair, and the truth is being. told. Heretofore it
has been democrat and republican, and the party
lash has been as much abused in Virginia as any
other state in the union.
Ruben W. Heflin, Flora Vista, New Mexico.
I herewith enclose primary pledge, because of the
duty of example it would be well if voters in
all parties would sign such a pledgeit has been
my custom to attend all primaries. It is inter
esting to know what ticket a man has been vot
ing in past years, but it is more interesting to
know what ticket he is voting now. And why'
I believe in the principles as set forth by Jeffer
son, Lincoln and Bryan democratic democracy.
I believe the party of today that comes the near
est these principles is the democratic party, for
that reason I as a democrat.
H. B. Edwards, Forreston, Tex., Enclosed
find twenty-six names (including my own) which
I have secured to the primary pledge as printed
in The Commoner. It is gratifying as well as
encouraging to see so .much interest taken in
the matter. It is evident that the people have
not lost hope in the triumph of the principles of
democracy as expounded and defended by
W. J. Bryan. Had the common people been
aroused to their interest preceeding the nation.il
convention -at .St. Louis as they were c?uiing the
campaign of 1896 we would have had a more
democratic platform and candidate. The Com
moner is a great educator and the people are
being educated through its columns in the great
and eternal principles of justice between man
. and man. "On with the battle" until v ctorv shaH
crown our efforts. vicioiy snail
clubRBerntlev1TTI)reTSiden5 BentIey Democratic
ciuu, tfenuey, I. T I enclose list of thii-tv-qiv
democrats around Bentley. y x
J. R. Fowlkes, San Diego, Calif., As I Pvnonf
o remain here, and believing in the pfincinlef of
anTste" j'sT mSt ills rch
anu state I sign the primary pledge, honine- tn
help remedy conditions. I believe in honest de
mocracy and honest Christianity, the?e beinJ
more than one kind in our time. We will havl
-to come back and agree to the declarant f
of our great men inthe past, that an hSeaf iSS
R. R. Goodrich, Paola, Kansas t an i
our candidates. - "1,luveraent m
Matt Plunkett, Central Citv S n -ti
find twenty names of men who wif'STSw
can for true democracy. Ulcy
J. J. Brushart, Portsmouth nhn toi
you will find a list of demratic aSM
B. F. Evans, Lufkin, Tex., Enclosed nine
find a list of sixteen primary Xdges I JL
sented the pledge to ajwntei votefs-one ! re-"
fused to sign. So I send a 16 to 1 list it
very hard to get up any enthusiasm anions il
voters since Dave Hill and Belmont succeed
in forcing Parker on them, but if we can
get all the voters to attend the primaries
.there will be no danger of their repeatine tho
outrage.
W. P. Gill, Luella, Ark. Please find primary
pledge filled out and herewith enclosed. I heart
ily endorse the plan. Let the work go on. Suc
cess to The Commoner.
W. L. Devereaux, Clyde," N. Y.-Enclosed
find signed pledge. We have in our state the law
of regularity of date and hour of holdins primaries
and caucases, which is correct. Now we can
add the agreement and pledge of democrats to
turn out and be there.
Samuel B. Pratt, Libby, Mont. I am certainly
heartily in accord with this movement, and will
do all I can to get our politics in Montana in
line for an aggressive campaign.
George T. Byrd, Mahokin, Md. I hereby oh
ligate myself to attend all the primaries of the
democratic party from now until the next presi
dential convention. We have some people here
who are opposed to silver, but if we had about
four times more silver than we have the com
munity would be better off. God bless The Com
moner. M. B. Smith, Ranger, W. Va. Find enclosed
some of the primary pledges of genuine democrats
in my district. If I had more blanks I could
get lots more.
J. W. Wilson, Lexington, Ky. Enclosed find
list of signers of the primary pledge. These
names were easily procured. Send some more
blanks and my neighbors and I will get them
filled up. I think The Commoner is striking at
.the vital points in politics.
W. A. Phillips, Purdy, I. T. Enclosed please
find blank filled out. I was glad to have the op
portunity to get it signed, and if you want me
to circulate another primary pledge petition, let
me know and I am at your service.
P. W. Cunningham, Loretto, Nebr. Enclosed
find the primary pledge, signed. -I believe your
plan to be the best means to get the democrats
together.
Algernon Colburn, Minneapolis, Minn. I have
been unable to spend any time getting signers
of the pledge this summer. Next fall I will get
more signers I enclose four signatures to the
pledge.
J. P. Hair, Russellville, Ark. With great
pleasure I herewith enclose signed primary pledge
which I regard as a sure plan for a great demo
cratic victory in 1908.
v. D. D. Hartsell, Wisner, La. I come as a
democrat that has been rendering, in my humble
way, earnest and faithful efforts for the demo
cratic party ever since the nomination of Tilden
and have never voted anything but a straight
democratic ticket, but if the party continues the
course pursued in 1904, I will most reluctantly
have to leave the party. I have signed the pri
mary pledge, advocated by The Commoner, and
have no other desire in communication of this
article, than to reflect the sentiment that exists
in the hearts of thousands of democrats who have
became inactive sfnee the party so ignominiously
reversed its time-honored principles in its plat
form' in 1904. I have no disposition to chide, but
the calcium light of truth must be turned on if
we would have our path illuminated, so that we
may clearly take our bearings to the star of
success. If the democratic party desire the sup
port and the respect o the people, ii must
repudiate Clevelandism with its entire following,
and not only return to the abandoned principles
of 1896 and 1900, but it must look to and take
counsel of the leaders of these dates. Then the
. rank and file of democracy had confidence in
their nominee, and they entered the campaign
full of life, strength and vigor to battle for party
principle's. But in 1904 the democratic national
convention became intoxicated by the siren songs
of the New York contingency, dictated by Grover
Cleveland and nominated Alton Brooks Parker,
who had been hypnotized previously by the mists
so that he could not open his mouth or movo
his. tongue to let the world know his former po
litical convictions until after his nomination, then
his sphinx like expressions were relaxed, Ids
tongue become loose and in limber Jack fashion
he spins himself over the country to give vent to
his pent up convictions. The ' convention ntm
s.
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