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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 15, 1905)
The Commoner. .VOLUME 5, NVMDER 3! U - I DEMOCRATS SIGN PRIflARY PLEDGE Have you signed the primary pledge? If not ilo so. Then ask your neighbor to sign. Every Commoner reader who has not exerted some ef fort for the primary pledge is asked to lend a hand. Even though you make it a practice to attend primaries, don't withhold your pledge. By signing you will sot a good example for your care less neighbor. This is not to bo the work of a day nor of several days. It is to be the work of months and of years. Tlfe field is a large ono and to cover it time and effort will be required, but if democrats co-operate the desired result will bo 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 unavoid ably prevented, and to secure a clear, honest and straight-forward declaration of the party's posi tion en 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 of the organization and ask ing to have their names entered on the roll, or they can fill out and mail the blank pledge, which, is printed on this page. . r - Extracts from letters received at The Com moner office follow: R. D. Turman, Poteau, I. T. Enclosed find primary pledge with 27 signatures. - H. C. McCoy, Westpoint, Ky. I enclose my primary pledge. A. B. Alpaugh, Cokesburg, N. J.-7-I send you 36 primary pledges. Alex Strand, Ansel, Ky. I enclose 22 signa tures to the primary pledge. J. F. Weakley, Nashville, Tenn. I send you eight signatures to the primary pledge. G. A. Walker, Rochester, N. H. I enclose pestofflce order for $3.00 for five subscriptions to . The Commoner. Please send me ten more cards as I have 'but three left out of 125 you have sent me.- The Commoner is a great educator. Every voter who believes in the government of democ racy should take it, sign and keep the primary pledge. It would mean victory in 1908. C. A. Neiman, White Water, Kans. Enclosed, you will find a few primary pledges signed. So far as I have learned, all favor these pledges as a true democratic movement. Yours for the right. James Nutter, Pittsfield, N. H. I herewith send primary pledge signed. I have not attended the primaries as often as it was my duty to do. Being entirely democratic since I was born 80 years ago, I trusted that all democrats were for the right, but I now realize that I have not done right in not attending the primaries and assisting in keeping as best I could, our party . on pure, righteous democratic grounds. To stand for the right, study for the right and do the right is what I mean to do to the best of my ability. Considering the outrageous usurption of authority in high places (shielding the guilty for instance) I should not think there could be a republican in this country except the Rocke ' fellers and Mdrgans and the like. Robert E. L. Erb, Palmyra, Ind. I have filled the primary blank you sent me. As I am a poor man a laborer have not had much time to get out, but I have filled it. For twenty years I have always borne up my end and a little more. I never stop work. I 'always was a democrat and my father was away back, 'and up to the pres ent time my father and myself have made a' big gain in our precinct. It always was republican un til the last two elections but we worked hard. I cannot be out much of my time as I have to labor hard to make a living, for my family but I am with The Commoner and all It advocates clear through. I hope v.j will bo successful in , 1908 and if we all get to work and work to gether, we can make it all right. God bless you all and all of my democratic friends. All go to work and we will win. W. J. Caudill, Hobart, Okla. You will find enclosed list of primary pledges. The Commoner is to be complimented for the great fight it is making for humanity, righteousness and good gov ernment. John C. Thomas, Lesterville, Ind. I am proud to do anything I 'can for the democratic party. We have an inhuman law passed two years ago last March. This provides that any person who its not able to bury himself or-has no relatives, shall be taken to the medical institute at Indian apolis. Please present this fact in your paper. Democrats are thicker here than dog fennel. I will do all I can to elect a democrat. George M. Henault, Seat Pleasant, Md. Be ing an original subscriber I desire that you should mail me a few primary pledges and I will have them filled by many sincere democrats. I am glad to see that they are increasing every day. E. L. Mitchel, editor Canadian Valley Echo, Grand, Okla. FJnd enclosed seven pledges in cluding my own. The primary pledge is one of the most unique as well as one of the most democratic plans of "getting back to the people" that has been adopted. The Echo, my paper, is the only democratic paper in Day county, but it wins every campaign on a straight-forward 1803-1900 platform. J. T. Duke, Galesburg, 111.- Find the primary pledge. This plan and obligation I heartily endorse, "ternal vigilance is the price of Liberty." Under our present economic sys tem the primaries demand our greatest vigilance. God speed your plans and efforts. John Lovell, Lake Arthur, La. I will now send my primary pledge, heartily endorsing your plan of getting back to the people. I also send eight others. N. C. Crockett, Danner Tex. Having never voted any but a democratic ticket and believing in a primary, even to the extent to a double pri mary, for which, as a member of the Fannin County Democratic Executive Committee I voted, most assuredly I can sign your primary pledge, vhich find enclosed. H. W. Merritt, North Baltimore, Ohio Please find primary pledge signed. Let the good work continue.' Dr. T. J. Dunbar, 121 West Sixth street, Portsmouth, Ohio Kindly send me more primary pledge blanks. Enclosed find 26 more primary pledges signed. This makes 217 pledges I have sent in. W. A. Lewis, Ferguson, Ky. Enclosed you will find my pledge signed. Also the names of 14 others. I think it the greatest privilege of my life to vote and aid the democratic ticket whenever there is a chance to do so. I am sixty-four years old and I never scratched the ticket in my life. My first vote was for Wickliffe for governor of Kentucky. That vote was cast under the bayonet and the only one polled in the county. I love the party and hope to see the day when I can cast my ballot for a successful demo cratic candidate for president or these United States. I feel that victory for the party is near at hand, and the people can once more rejoice. O. D. Jacobs, Bellefontaine, Ohio. It gives me great pleasure to work for a cause that has been espoused by Jefferson, Jackson and Bryan. When a democrat who loves his coun try looks about him and sees the chicanery and rascality practiced under the open eyes and by the republican party, whose every move almost is detrimental to that form of government known as a republic, he should with willingness clasp hands with his brother for the destruction of the party that upholds and permits such to tran spire. It can with ease be done by strict adher ence to this pledge; victory will porch unm, a banner of democracy and our coimtrv S 5 rescued from the hands of its enemies Si the names of the following 35 democrats nn ?? wm teTe."11 " bollove thelr , George Buzza I sign and enclost prima pledge. I fully endorse it. I have always 2 it a point to attend primaries. I voted for m? Bryan in 1896 and 1900. Could not go Mr P ker last fall; the only time I did not vote demn' cratic ticket at national election and am 52 years old. Mr. Bryan's democracy is COn.i enough for me and I firmly believe we are goine to win on it. Success to The Commoner and its editor. u The Capital City (Michigan) Democrat, edited by M. E. Gardner, says: "We have urged re peatedly that the democrats to win must organizo the masses. The plutocrats with plenty of money can perfect an organization on short notice, but the people to win must organize and agitate for months and years to accomplish against money The primary plan advocated by The Commoner is one of the best advocated. Let every demo crat attend his next primary election. In fact every citizen should take a hand and the fixers and trickers would get left." The Oklahoma Enterprise, published at Mu tual, Okla., and edited by M. E. McCance, says:' "W. J. Bryan's paper, the Commoner, is doing some very effectual work along party lines. Mr. Bryan is a firm believer in the eternal principles of Jeffersonian Democracy, and his primary pledge system is doing more to harmonize and poten tize true Democracy than any other influence. It matters not how just and equitable are the funda mental principles of a party, if its adherents fail to carry those principles to victory through con centrated effort, they will never add to or detract from the nation's destiny. Democracy has always championed the cause of the masses, despite the efforts of a few designing politicians so-called Democrats who have essayed to prostitute it before the god of predatory wealth. As a solu tion of the problem confronting the party, Mr. Bry an offers no complication. Having "awak ened the conscience" to the exercise of right and justice he asks every democrat to take .a stand for the principles which his conscience leads him to believe to be right. That stand is merely a statement to do his duty at the primar ies. This no democrat needs fear to do, at any time, much less at a time, when he sees his principles daily vindicted and put in operation as the present party in power is forced to do under conditons unwelcomed by it and over which it had little control. Those democrats who heretofore have opposed the reform teachings of Mr. Bryan are learning by sad experience to themselves as well as party, that right is eternal and invincible, party that from conscience sacrifices victory for principle will not always represent the minority. It will some day be clothed with the toga of power, and wreathed with garlands of victory. Mr. Dem ocrat, wherever you are, or whoever you be, I have but this advice: sign the primary pledge, answer present to the roll call of the 'higher ideal and with 'back to the people' as a party slogan success lies at your door step." THE PRJMAR.Y PLEDG E I promise to attend all the primaries of my party to be held between now ami the next Democratic National Convention, unless unavoidably prevented, and to use my influence to secure a clear, honest and straightforward declaration of the party' position on every question upon which the voters of the party desire to speak. Street. Signed. 1 Postoflice. State. County. Voting precinct or ward. BS?" Fill out Blanks and mail to Commoner Office', Lincoln, Nebraska. u M u r dTt jMumm. itrntA m