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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 22, 1905)
" yn)iHnw' w The Commoner. 8 yOLTJMB 5, NUMBER 35 .-K iB EEiflfc ARE WORKING FOR THE PRIMARY PLEDGE A. A. Wilson, Kirkwood, Mo., sends to The Commoner 20 signatures to the primary pledge; J. J. Spencer, Enville, Texas, sends 29 signatures; J. H. Willis, Zaring, Mo., sends 35 signatures; M. B. Maples, Huntsville, Ala., sends 35 signa tures; G. J. .Smith, Lamb, Mo., sends 34 signa tures; W. II. Wilson, Woodland, Iowa, sends 50; J. 13. Rickart, Perry, 111., sends 22 signatures; E. B. Tull, Windsor, 111., sends 21 signatures. This is the kind of work that will insure complete success for the primary pledge plan. Readers of The Commoner should not forget that this is a large undertaking and that time and effort will be required to cover the extensive iicld. No democrat should withhold his pledge merely because he has made it a practice to at tend primaries. By signing now he will set a goo.d example to his careless neighbor. Every democrat is asked to pledge himself to attend all of the primaries of his party to be held be tween now and the next democratic national con vention, unless unavoidably prevented, and to se cure a clear, honest and straight-forward declara tion of the'party's position on every question up on which the voters of the party desire to speak. Those desiring to be enrolled can either write to The Commoner approving the object of the organization and asking to have their names en tered on the roll, or they can fill out and mail the blank pledge, which is printed on this page. Extracts from letters received at The Com moner office follow: G. W. Calhoun, William, W. Va.I have can vassed this neighborhood and have filled this prK mary pledge blank with the names of strong democrats. I wish you great success. Frank S. Hanson, Cleveland, Okla. Enclosed find six primary pledges. I have not given this matter the attention I should, on account of lack of time. J. W. Howe, editor Dickinson County News, Abilene, Kan. While I may be somewhat tardy In sending my pledge yet I want it understood that I have always believed it was the proper idea, and I wish to congratulate Mr. Bryan upon his efforts in getting this before the people. I have been unable to get these pledges published in the News as often as I should have liked. As chairman of the Fifth district congressional com mittee I will from now on endeavor to get them' out before the people of the district. Let the good work go on. George W. B. Shrout, Owingsville, Ky.- I hereby hand you 26 names of Bath county demo crats that want to be on the side 'of the great common people as our martyred governor said on his dying bed. I think that the editorials in The Commoner, Lawson's articles and Russell's articles in Everybody' and the writings of Miss Tarbell's have and will open the eyes of the people as nothing else has. Yours for the good of the cause. Joseph Frank OwskI, Meridan, Conn. I send in this letter my pledge to attend the primaries. Please put me on record, I don't think I can do much, as I .am 77 years old, but I circulate my paper among others. Some years ago in Mexico all the land belonged to the church and the government confiscated it. Can't this government do the same with Thomas F. Ryan and men who, like him, through questionable transactions se cured one thousand or more acres of land? T. E. Wooldridge, Greentown, Ind. Enclosed find names of 26 democrats who have signed the primary pledge. They are all true blue. Frank Erwin Brandt, Dundee, 111. I take a great deal of pleasure in forwarding the enclosed 35 pledges. The list of signers was secured through the efforts of Mr. John H. Richardson, a loyal democrat. With best wishqs for the suc cess of the, pledge plan, I am yours for democracy. Albert Rainsey, Lake View, Ohio. I send you two names for the primary pledge list. I approve the work you are doing on the primary pledge. I am sure it will help the democratic party. If I live till March 4, 1906, I will be 86 years of age. S. J. Wilkins, Norman, Oklahoma. I send list. I am glad to say that all to whom I pre sented the pledge willingly signed it; there are several other lists being circulated in our city and will be sent in soon. The Commoner is a welcome visitor. I bid you God speed. C. C. Westmoreland, Carroll Co., Va. En closed find 45 signatures to primary pledge. I mailed my pledge some months ago to show my approval of the plan, thinking it a grand thing in the close states, but did not think it necessary in such states as Virginia, with our large demo cratic majority. After you leave the mountains here it's democrats and negroes (nearly all the whites are democrats), but since I have been read ing the letters in The Commoner from the pledge brothers from all parts of the country I have become interested in it. It's a reunion of the democratic party, the extreme southern, western or northern brother feels as intimate as though he lived in my own neighborhood. So I think this thing should be pushed. We should have a badge button with the words Primary Club, and the photograph of Thomas Jefferson. It would encourage the young, and careless to -join our club. P. T, Pierce, Clifford, Mo. I wish to say the reason why I didn't get any more names is that almost all had signed other pledges before 1 got this blank. I do hope your primary pledge plan may bring success in 1908. W. H. Lamb, Plainville, Ind. Please find en closed primary pledge with 20 signatures, all of whom authorized me to sign their names to. the pledge at a recent democratic meeting. It would have been an easy matter to have secured a hun dred signers. R. Rilling, East Sound, Wash. Enclosed find primary pledge duly signed by 13 democrats. Let the good work go on. I am with you in this fight. T. D. Blackmore, Scotland, Ind. Find primary pledge signed by 28 democrats. I like your pri mary pledge system, and think it win be a. winner. E. R. Ziori, recording secretary Iroquois club, San Francisco, Cal. The Iroquois club is with you on the primary pledge. We have circulated many thousands of pledge cards for the municipal primary. The cards not only brought out the voters, but they secured for the club members a very large representation in the nominating con vention. The people trust those who trust the people. Monopoly contributions to the democratic party have a tainted smell. Let the republicans draw upon the sinews of Wall street, the demo crats should rely upon the sinews of the people. This tower of strength can best be reached and maintained through the primary. The enclosed list of 34 signatures was secured at a recent meet ing. Our collector sends you annually a large list of subscribers. Outside of our club members, I send you annually five subscriptions. We look to your columns for the true faith." O. P. WTard, Southport, Ind. Find enclosed primary pledge;. When I see one trying to do something in a good cause I am willing to lend my aid, and keep trying. A. B. Ferguson, Lyons, Ind. Find enclosed 35 primary pledges this makes 70 pledges I have sent. W. J. Williams, Kansas City, Kan. I enclose the primary pledge with 27 signatums. i woll, suggest that while we are working to prt our dom ocratic friends to sign pledges we should not forget to try and convert as many of our renub lican friends as possible. When the Lord camo he did not come to save the righteous, but to save sinners. George -T. Heslin, Maiden Rock, Wis. I en close my primary pledge. I believe that I am a natural born democrat. I also believe that all true democrats are born, not made. My boyhood days were spent in a wilderness of black re publicanism. I cast my first vote in 1872, for Horace Greeley, and I have never missed an election or failed to vote a straight democratic ticket, or refused to contribute as liberally as my means would admit to the campaign funds since, except in 1902, when the democratic organization of this state adopted a corporation platform and nominated a corporation candidate for governor. Again in 1904, when the corporation tools got con trol of the Oshkosh convention, I refused to side with them or to vote for them. I voted for a natural born democrat R. M. LaFollette and as long as the Lord gives me power to reason, and strength to talk and work and get to the polls to vote, I will do all of those things as near as I know how, in the name and interest of true natural born democracy. E. Gash, Windor, Mo. I have filled one of the pledge blanks you sent me some time ago. I have been very busy, but I have secured the sig natures of nearly all of the Benton and Henry county democrats. Walter L. Dalton, Potter, Ky. Enclosed find . the petition with 35 signatures. My father, now 75 years of age, hopes to live to vote the demo cratic ticket for the next president, and his three sons likewise. J. C. Johnson, 'New Athens, Ohio. We positively refused to vote for the Wall street candidate last year, voting for Watson, the only candidate representing demo cratic principles. Defeat last year was the best thing that ever happened the party. All eyes are turned on the Ohio election this fall. Should we be successful it will be the stepping stone to the great reform movement that is sweeping over the country. The beauty of it is we have an ardent democrat for a candidate. We were chair man of our last county convention and in a brief address we advised that the candidate for gover nor must be a good democrat and must have the endorsement of the temperance people, such a man was nominated in the person of John W. Pattison. May we be rewarded with success. Herrick has the money, sporting and society ele ments behind him. Pattison has the decent people behind him. The pledge plan is admirable and the proper way is to get the people to the pri mary. A bimetallic plank must be in the next national platform, so all will know what the posi tion of the party is in regard to the money ques tion. Find my pledge. M. T. Scanlon, Malone, N. Y. Please find en closed primary pledge signed by several persons, If I had a little time I could get a large number. Success to you. r S S SSS 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 desiro to speak. Street. Signed. Bostofhco.. State. County. Voting precinct or ward. S Fill out Blanks and mail to Commoner Office, Lincoln, Nebraska.