The Commoner.
.VOLUME 5, NVMDER
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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.
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