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The Commoner.
8
iVOIitlME
NUMBER
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NEBRASKA DEMOCRATS ENDORSE PRIMARY PLEDGE
The Nebraska Democratic State ' Convention
In session at Lincoln, September 20, unanimously
adopted the following resolution:
"We heartily approve of the primary pledge
plan as suggested by W. J. Bryan and urge every
democrat In Nebraska to formally make the
promise to attend all primaries of the party be
tween now and the next democratic convention,
unless unavoidably prevented and to use his
influence to secure a clear, honest and straight
forward declaration of the party's position on
every question upon which the voters of the party
may desire to speak."
Every Commoner reader who lias not exerted
some effort for the primary pledge Is asked to
lend a hand. Even though you make it a prac
tice to attend primaries, don't withhold 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. Those de
siring to be enrolled can either write to The
Commoner approving tho object of the organiza
tion and asking to have their names entered 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:
Oscar T. English, Taylorsville, Ky. I enclose
primary pledge signed by 140 democrats.
J. A. Hutchings, Charlestown,, Ind. I am with
you in the primary pledge plan.' Have been with
you in three campaigns, and ready to fight again
and (may God forbid) il' needs be, fighting for
' 'the- right tofalr 'again.
Jerome Dudding, Winfield, W. Va. I have al
ready secured many signers to the primary pledge
and will soon send in the same. I am in this work
of organization, heart, soul and body.
James Maupin, Madison, Mo. I enclose you
28 signatures to the primary pledge.
S. S. Clavenger, Centerville, Ind. I send you
a list of 20 pledges duly signed. I sent you my
own pledge some time ago. I am heartily in sym
pathy with your plan of organizing the demo
cratic party. Long may The Commoner and its
editor live to battle for the right. May God bless
and guide your labors of reform.
B. B. Barnes, Covington, Tenn. My first vote
was cast in Kentucky in 1899 and for William
Goebel for governor. My second was in 1900 for
the then nominee for president. I heartily en
dorse the democratic movement known as the pri
mary pledge plan.
Clayton. Frush, Pleasantville, la. Enclosed
find primary pledge, signed.
A. De Long, Haines, Oregon. Enclosed find
primary pledge. I believe in it with heart and
soul. I am a Hollander and a democrat.
Wade Spear, Oklahoma City, Okla. Enclosed
find 16 signatures to the primary pledge.
N. C. Crockett, Danner, Texas. I send you
six signatures to the primary pledge.
Wesley P. Hutler, Nescopeck, Pa. I send you
31 signatures to the primary pledge.
Daniel Brummett, Hughesville, Mo. En
closed pleasefind ten "primary pledges, signed by
loyal democrats all, of course, anxious for good
government. Will send in more as soon as I have
- a chance to get them.
W. D. Barnes, Seymour, Ind. You already
have my name recorded and my hearty approval,
of the primary pledge plan. Please find enclosed
list of 35 names who are among our best citi
zens. In soliciting for the enclosed names to
the pledge, I found a small per cent of true demo
crats who claimed they could not see tho feasi
bility or necessity of signing such a pledge, but
this is to be expected in all localities. On with
the good work, and may your efforts be crowned
with abundant success. Enclosed please find P.
O. order in payment for eight new subscriptions
to Thd Commoner.
James E. Fortney, Randall, W. Va. Please
find enclosed the primary pledge, duly signed.
I heartily 'endorse this plan of getting a fair and
honest expression of the people as to who shall
make and execute our laws. There is no demo
cratic opportunity unless there Is a democratic
party to meet it. To be democratic it must bo
democratic in principle, democratic in purpose,
and democratic in its acts, and have democratic
leaders at the head, and not corporation lawyers
and railroad directors. When it compromises its
principles, when it appeals to special interests,
when it contemplates the betrayal of the people,
it ceases to be democratic and invites its own
destruction. Unless the democratic party shall
rid itself of the men who are now using it as a
personal convenience; unless it shall purge and
rehabilitate itself, its days of usefulness will have
ended, and its utter extinction will follow as sure
ly as decomposition follows death.
James A. Bradshaw, E. Lyon, W. Va. I shall
do all that I can to bring about a perfect system
of organization in our party. Send me a few
copies of The Commoner and any other matter
that will be of interest.
John C. Wilson, McDonald, Pa. Although my
work is nearly all away from home, I will take
time to vote at elections and also primaries if
possible. That the democratic ,party is right on
every issue is evidenced by honest and progres
sive republicans adopting the democratic position
on every live question. Yours for untainted de
mocracy. S. D. Neale, N. P., Eubanks, Ky. Please find
enclosed a list of 93 democratic supporters for
this precinct. I have been over the precinct and
this list voices their sentiments; they will sup
port the nominee and pledge themselves to stick
to the party.
Alexander Law, New York City. Enclosed
you will find 36 names signed to primary pledge.
With the Increasing rents the landlords are con
tinually exacting, making it harder and in some
cases almost impossible for the, poorest of our
population to live at all, you" must appreciate
there are growing up questions that some party
must face in the near future far more important
than the money, public ownership or any other
now before the people. The primary right of all
to live without paying some one for the privilege
must necessarily take precedence of all other
questions. It has been stated on good authority
that 70,000 children, in this city go to school with
out breakfast, or inadequately fed, thereby stunt
ed in mind and body. The future citizens of this
country with all the possibilities they represent
are woefully handicapped that a few rich men
have the funds to ape the manners and style of
living of the brainless aristocrats our forefathers
fought against in the heroic days of '76. While
I believe in both public ownership and more mon
ey in circulation, I fall to see how either will
benefit the masses of our people while those who
claim to own what the Creator gives free to all
the land are in a position to raise the rents and
thereby appropriate to their own use what of
right belongs to the community, for it must be
recognized it is the concentration of population
and their labor that makes land valuable. The
single tax on land values' is a remedy, and if
we are as we claim to be, democrats, let us face
the question and, in the language of Thomas Jef
ferson, see that all men enjoy their inalienable
right to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happi
ness," by recognizing that what God eavn ,
till uiuov uc iUl I.IXX3 ucucui, UJ. till.
F. M. Whittaker, Covington, Pa -Find
closed my primary pledge. Pleaso send m- w
blank pledges, as I think there will bo no trcUi
in securing that number of signers and more ?
the party in this county is always loval to tS
principles of true democracy. 9
Henry N. Stephens, Willapa, Washington-.
Please find enclosed my pledge cut from The
Commoner, the best paper printed today or ever
before. I have voted the democratic ticket for
fifty years and worked for tho party during all
that time, so you may Imow it costs mo no great
effort to sign enclosed pledge. Your paper is the
only one I read completely through each week
but I do read The Commoner and endorse every
word I find in it. I do not believe that anv
paper ever published or any book ever published
has done as much for good government and to
relieve the masses as The Commoner is doing
every weeK. i am vo years oia and not able to
get out and work for The Commoner or 1 would
certainly do so.
F. H. Claypool, Humansville, Mo. Enclosed
find list of 33 names who desire to be enrolled as
working democrats. The list includes leading
farmers and business men of this vicinity. All
realize that the primary pledge is the right thing
in. the right place. It inspires perfect confidence
with the party.
A. B. Gallaway, Seymour, Mo. Having been
a constant reader of The Commoner since its
first publication I take pleasure in expressing my
sentiments in regard to its value as an educating
medium to young men along political .lines. I
have found it to be a source of invaluable inform
ation to men not only in informing me politically
but teaching me the moral in the questions it
so ably discusses. A great many newspapers
discuss political questions from the standpoint
of "will it pay?" but I find that The Commoner
discusses them from the highly moral standpoint
of "is it right t" I am only 18 years of age, but
take an active interest in politics. Wishing great
success to The Commoner and its editor.
H. K. Shanklin, Viola, la. Enclosed you will
find primary pledge with fifteen democratic sig
natures. Although the democracy of Iowa is
greatly in the minority, yet we have cause to hope
for brighter days, as witness the election of a
democratic governor on the republican ticket. It
is gratifying to all true democrats to note tho
success you are meeting with in your effort to
bring the party "back to the people," and may
success continue to crown your efforts until vic
tory shall perch upon our banner in 1908, and tho
cause of the common people be vindicated.
Dr. J. Martin, Little Falls, Minn. I enclose
primary pledges of 28 good and true democrats
who believe in the principles laid down by one
of our greatest statesmen, who said "it is proper
we should understand the principles of govern
ment." What were the principles of government
laid down by this wise man? "Equal and exact
justice to all men of whatever position religious
or political." Fly from the fluttering folds of our
flag that sentiment, and the ground on which wo
march will always be strong and firm.
rSAS
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 8
position on every question upon which the voters of the party desire to speak.
uj-,
Street.
Signed.
Postoffice.
State.
County.
Voting precinct or ward.
.1.-
., t3T Fill out Blanks arid mail to Commoner Office, Lincoln Nebraska.
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