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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 8, 1905)
hy- - ft ,- T--'- 1-1 ...j ;- UJ H TUT-' ' - BIWIMI !! II1M1M1MMIH ,. - 8 The Commoner. V0LTJME5,NrMBERj, ' ARE PUSHING THE PRI HA RY PLEDGE H. M. Rhoads, Atkinsville, Va., sends 47 primary pledges. C. A. Rogers of Kings Mills, Ark., sqnds 55 pledges. Harvey W. Jones, Mag ness, Ky., writes: "Here is primary pledge with fifty signatures. It is no trouble to get demo crats to sign such a fair benevolent proposition. I only wish that every democrat in the land and every other person who has the welfare of his country at heart could bo induced to read The Commoner, which I consider the clearest, cleanest and ablest political digest known to man. Long live Mr. Bryan and his Commoner." J. Knox Hall, Greene, la., sends 48 primary pledges and as an introduction to their pledge, these signers say "The undersigned voters of Greene, Butler county, Iowa, after having had held up to their Yiew, the frauds and graft in every walk of official life in state and nation, believe the time has arrived for every demo crat and patriot to do his duty, and we therefore make the following pledge is suggested by The nmr,-nTyf- UUUIIliUUCl . J. W. Booker, Baileytown, Tenn., writes: "Enclosed find pledge with 55 names of Bryan dem ocrats, making 75 that I have sent In. And I am not done. I am going to get all I can, I love to w,ork for aggressive and progressive democracy. We are all democrats in this neck 'O' the woods. We want no more Cleveland, 'safety and sanity' in ours. I endorse Mr. Bryan's views in regard to civil service. Civil service as run now, is , rotten and partial. Boys what's the matter with old Tennessee. I am sure the primary , pledge, if signed by all democrats of Tennessee and carried out, would lift Tennessee out of the mire. We would then nominate candidates that the majority wanted and not a machine man. Boys it does me good to read all of your letters in the good old Commoner. It is encouraging for our' old fathers to sign the pledge. My father is 72 years- old and has signed. May the' good work go on. It Is hoped that every other 'Commoner reader who has not exerted some effort for the primary pledge will lend a hand at the earliest opportunity. Even though you make it a practice to attend primaries, don't withliold your pledge. By signing you will set 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 he 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 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 Tne Commoner ap proving the object of the organization and asking to have their names entered on the roll, or they pan fill out and mail the blank pledge, which Is printed on this page. Extracts from letters received at The Com moner office, follow: M. H. Melia, Gretna, NebT. Please find en closed primary pledge with 35 names. Could have obtained more, but haven't the time. J. W. S. Cowman, Accotink, Va. Enclosed find ten primary pledges. J. M. Louory, Bellefountaine, Ohio L send you 35 primary pledges. O. M. Haddox, Middlebourne, W. Va. En closed find 35 primary pledges. John O. Muenich, Jefferson, Wis. Enclosed find. primary pledge with 35 signatures. R. P. Page, Cauthron, Ark. Please enroll my. name on your primary pledge roll. I heartily endorse your plan. J. F. Badgerow, Omaha, Nebr. I take pleasure In signing the primary pledge. The plan is demo--cratic and should Insure success for the demo cratic party in 1908. . To be a democrat, and support the principles of Jackson, Jefferson, and .Bryan, is to exercise one's rights in the highest . type of American citizenship. N. E. Sharp, Norman, Okla. Enclosed find primary pledge signed by 24. I will, in a short time, furnish you the names of perhaps 200 demo crats residing in the different townships in this county that you may furnish them sample copies of The Commoner. S. W. Woody, Moody, Calif. Enclosed find list of names of men who will stand by the demo cratic party. I am now in my eightieth year and hope I will be permitted to live to vote for a democratic president in 1908. Frank Gwin, editor Public Press, New Al bany, Ind. Herewith I send you 35 primary pledge signatures and if you will send me more blanks I will have them filled so far as possible. The names on this list are all true blue Jeffer sonian democrats. If there is a bolter or a dis organizer on the list I do not know who it is, and I am well acquainted with all who haye signed their names to it. Pardon me if I should digress somewhat and say that I believe that the people should vote in the primaries for United States senators. This would put a check upon state legislatures to a degree, and legislatures could not afford to disregard the wishes of the people as expressed at the primary elections. Even though we should ge.t the amendment to the con stitution by which we could elect United States senators by direct vote of the people, the selec tion of the party nominees at the primaries would only be an- aid to the selection of the people's choice. R. A. Berghold, editor Star, Stroud, Okla. On with the dance! Here is my pledge to do all within my power to further the good cause. God speed the right. M. J. Borland, Bay City, Mich. Enclosed please find primary pledge. My health would not permit me getting around or I should have been able to get more signatures. These fifteen who have signed the pledge enclosed are mostly all prominent democrats. J. A. Baldwin, Waynetown, ind. Herewith find primary pledge signed by eleven good demo crats who wish you and The Commoner lasting success. W. M. Higbee, Fairbank, la. Enclosed find II primary pledges. These signers all heartily endorse the plan and will do everything in their power to carry it into effect. T. L. Stamper, Denton, Ky. We are in the fight to stay. Enclosed you will find primary pledge list with 36 names. Am very busy at present but hope I will have more time to de vote to this cause in the future. Alexander Law While we are complain ing about the exactions of the trusts what about the, comparatively speaking, handful of men, "Landlords," who are permitted to re morsely tax without representing the people, for the privilege of livjng on the earth. Equal rights to all, special privileges to none, implies at least the right to live without paying ex orbitant rent to some one for the privilege. The earth for the people would be a good democratic slogan for 1908. E. M. Pitman. Centervillp Vor.,. . will find three pledges to vote at al Sl?U which you may file with the others YoSl just government. ours fr G. W. Robles, Tampa, Fla. Endow , will find my primary pledge which I JS,5" dorse. I also send in 35 other names of nS who agree to attend the primaries of their JJ? You will find the name of George Rol es I' who is my father. I. mention his name as you may want to make some mention of a man iZ has such a democratic record as father C He was born in Madrid, Spain, September 1 ' 1817. He landed at St. Marys, GeoKv'J 1S32. He came to this country on a Spanish ship, searching for . timber known as "rangine timber." He cast his first vote in this country for President Jackson in 1834, although he was not yet 21 years of age. He said a few days ago that he well remembers some one saying that oi course he could vote and he said that it made him feel quite grand to have the right to ex press his wishes at the polls by casting a vote for the purpose of electing a president of tho United States. He .has voted for rnmnoa. of the democratic party for president from 1834 10 xyui ana nopes to live to vote for a demo crat in 1908. W. H. H. Scott, Reno, Nevada I will fill out primary pledges you sent me as soon as I can conveniently do so and return the same to Tho Commoner. Send me some sample copies of The Commoner' and I will distribute them. Wirt W. Zorger, Marion, Ind. Have been a reader of The Commoner for about one year and a half, and it is needless for me to state that I am an ardent admirer of it. Am sending you signed primary pledge, which I believe to be the very foundation for the upbuilding of true democratic principles, whose advocates and leaders cannot be other than men who stand for needed reforms and men who have "kept the faith." I am a democrat because I believe in government- by the people and not government by the grafters. Traditionally, also, I am a demo crat, my father having been one of the oldest democratic editors in this state. I believe in the ultimate triumph of reform democracy. Harry C, White, 1605 North Eighteenth street, Philadelphia, Pa. Enclosed find my primary pledge, though it is late. I have decided to send It If only as an example to others. The democ racy in this' city is rotten. (That is the plain English.) Those in control are openly in league with the machine, and democrats are disgusted with the name of "regular" democrats. The main cause of control remaining in the hands of the grafters is "minority representation" which gives the spoils to the Ryan-Donnelly crowd. The decent democrats or the independents have no show at all, for instance, witness the result in the "last election, the republicans threw over fc'0,000 votes to the 'regular' democratic candi dates for magistrates 'minority representation THE PRIMARY PLEDGE I promise to attend all the primaries of my party to be held between now and the next Democratic 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 the voters of the party desire to speak. Street Signed: Bostofnco. i- State. '. ! It Countyj mr. Fill out j ( Voting preoinct or ward. Blanks and mail to Commoner Office, Lincoln, Nebraska. 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