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slderation can not bo Ignored by any interest
whatever. The people of the United States are
deeply concerned in the price of; shoes. Tlh put
both hides and shoos on the free list would bo
a tremendous gain by the people."
PUBLIC OPINION directs attention to an in
teresting article entitled "Animal Immor
tality," and printed in the November Harpers.
"Peter Rabbit," who is supposed to bo writing on
the animals' view of immortality, points out that
there is no such thing as animal psychology any
moro than animal gravitation, and proceeds to
apply to himself the reasoning that the human
being might use for or againsf an immortal life.
"There Is, for instance, the moral argument. You
find in yourselves the sense of right and wrong,
of good and evil, and upon your daily practice ac
cording to your knowledge many of your theo
logians have based the idea of a 'conditional'
immortality. Now, most of the animals have a
senso of right and wrong and generally live up
to their knowledge. Whether or not the animal
has an abstract conception of ultimate and abso
lute good is another question, which has nothing
whatever to do with the point at issue, since none
of you would be willing to stake your child's fu
ture bliss upon his possession of any abstract con
ceptions. Now, if there be any ultimate judge,
what will an honest God say of an animal that
does right as far as he knows?"
THE NEXT ARGUMENT advanced in this
peculiar article is that of personality, and
it is said: "The whole point is this, that whatever
The Commoner.
argument you apply to yourself applies in some
small measure to your animals also. Then there
is the argument of reappearances of disembodied
spirits which return to earth and make their
presence known to the physically living. An
enormous number have been or are being in
vestigated by your scientific societies, and cast
ing out all the cases of fraud and mistake and
imagination, a large residue remains which can
not be accounted for by any known lawB or ex
periences. The rabbit does not examine it here
to see just how much it proves or leaves un
proved; he simply points out the fact that, ac
cording to your records, the dog is often the first
to recognize the presence of the unseen; and that,
among the residue of these spirit appearances,
there are some of birds and animals that were
known to be dead. Then there Is the greatest
argument of all, the argument of incompleteness
Itselfof children dying, of lives disappointed,
of hopes unrealized, of wisdom that glimpses a
truth only to lose it. Everywhere you turn you
see a glorious promise suddenly broken off, with
out any earthly explanation. And to think that
man can see all thiB possible truth and beauty
and happiness, and stretch out his hands toward
it, and then be thrust back brutally into nothing
ness, is too m-nstrous a conception to hold for
one instant in the face of a rational universe.
Now, the animal's life is also incomplete more
so than your own, when you come to think of it.
The animal also knows life and the joy of it; he
begins to see dimly some reason in it, perhaps,
and stakes care of himself and his little ones
better and better, and gets more out of life. And
.VOLUME 5, NUMBER n
then, when life is best, age steals upon him , ,
he sees youth and gladness passing Z " ' and
his poor wisdom avails him nothinc fn ' and
things that he loves." " notmn to stay tho
TN THE SAME ARTICLE it is said- ,
I then,as the animal seems to you tn ar'
a rudimentary mind, you may rea's n &
for him some chance for immortality. Bverv J?
mal, as woll as every man, reproduces hi 1 JJt
from birth to death the whole WBtoTof hta S2
and the history of any race seems to bo an un
ward striving through pain and loss to inoro -Z
more perfect things. Where the process Lan
where mind emerged from the matter or S
clothed itself in matter, theabbitoes 'ot know
but he leaves the question cheerfully to 0ne S
was probably present with the morning still
and whose action has been reasonable and con
stant ever since. It seems, however thi ,
process once begun and long continued can end
only when 'the desire of every living thine' for
more life shall be accomplished. Thus far Z
rabbit has tried to argue the question imnerC
ally; but there is another reason -hich evorv an!
mal knows in his heart, though he finds no words
deep enough to tell his meaning. Death to tho
animal is but a sleep, and the only thought in
his Jiead when he lies down for the last time Is
that he will waken as usual when the right timo
comes. Now," nature deceives nobody, nor does
she long tolerate any deception. It would be most
irrational, even for a rabbit, to suppose that na
ture has told, him truth every hour of his long life
only to whisper falsehood at the last moment"
KANSAS AND THE PRIMARY PLEDGE
TCnnnnc atnnda n!ni. i j-t.-. i. .
. .iUO xiiiim iu Lilt. uumuer or pri
mary pledges returned to The Commoner office
For the good work already accomplished on this
line in Kansas, democrats are entitled to congrat
ulations. But the field is a large one, and every
Kansas democrat may find work to do. It is
necessary for The Commoner to present argu
ments showing why every democrat should enlist
in this good work? Is it not apparent to every
democrat that it is his duty to strive fop the
organiza ion of his party by the rank and file to
lfvG?n HS th,e,,party,inay be thoroughly respon
sive to the public welfare? Let us have a cen
eral awakening all along the democratic line.
hivi?PMm0CratS Zh? bave already assisted are
invited to renew their activities, while the many
v?JT n0t lmrticiPated this good work are
urged to co-operate.
fn .Jhe appeal which The Commoner has made
to the democrats of other states it now makes
Utt n?mmtSn f Kansas Every democratic
ITJtt r of . Tne Commoner is requested to ask
!yKansas democrat of his acquaintance to
sign the primary pledge and to call upon his
own neighbor to do likewise." If in every county
a number of democrats would organize for the
purpose of circulating the primary pledge form
in every precinct, obtaining the signature of
every democrat who is willing to discharge his
duty to his party, tie field would be covered
a short time. This work of organization is not
to terminate with the signing of the pledge. The
Interest of democrats once aroused is to be main
tained Clubs are to be organized in every conn
ty of the state and in every precinct of the county
these clubs having for their purpose the promS
gation of democratic principles. y
much it cost the G. O. P. to carry that election
tor if there ever was an election bought and paid
for it was the election of 1896 and such patriotic
men as McCurdy, McCall and Hyde that took the
widows and orphans' money and contributed it to
the republican campaign funds and waved their
lily white hands in horror and hollered anarchy.
I don't think that Herr Most ever made as many
anarchists as such as these are making every
day by their frenzied finance. In this case the
old adage fits them too well: "Thief always crys
thief first." You will find enclosed twenty-nine
names on a primary pledge. I sent my pledge in
long ago.
Manford S. Edsall, Fort Wayne, Ind. I send
primary pledge with fifteen signatures.
W. H. Ludwig, Fall City, Wash. I herewith
send pledge with eleven signatures. Democrats'
are not very numerous here, and I have not been
in this precinct long enough to get acquainted
with the few that are here.
T. E. Greenlee, Arbuckle, W. Va. Enclosed
find primary pledge with thirty-five signatures.
F. M. Scott, Pleasant Plains, 111. I believe
your great aim in this work is to maintain a
republican form of government, "of the people
by the people and for the people," for which I
am willing to cast in a mite.
E. B. Sims, Elizabeth, W. Va. I enclose
herewith primary pledge with twenty signatures
signed by as- many good and loyal democrats who
helped to land Wirt county back in the demo
cratic column last fall. I sent my pledge long
ago, and hope to live to see West Virginia go
democratic next year. The republicans are torn
in twain over tax laws enacted by party ma
chine as well as by a corrupt, wrangling and ex
pensive legislature which did nothing but spend
the people's money. We still have hope, and
above, all, faith.
A. W. May, Oakland, Calif. I sign the pledge
and God speed the principle
John G. Wise, Metropolis, 111. Enclosed find
eighteen signatures to the primary pledge.
Thomas M. Curack, East Pittsburg, Pa. En
closed find thirty-five names of Irish-Americans
who have pledged themselves, and are willing to
advance the cause.
J. T. Dunbar, M. D., Portsmouth, Ohio I
came 150 miles to cast one straight democratic
vote. Enclosed you will find 115 more primary
pledge signatures, making 332 in all, also somo
subscriptions for The Commoner. I enjoy work
ing for the cause.
John D. Cobb, West Baden, Ind. I enclose
primary pledge with seventeen signatures.
Isaac K. Osburn, Albla, Ky. I have secured
all the signatures that I could, as I was very
busy. Every democrat I saw signed this pledge
willingly.
As this copy of The Commoner may be read
by some one not familiar with the details of the
primary pledge plan, it is necessary to say that
according to the terms of this plan ev-ry demo
crat is asked to pledge himself to attend al of
the primaries of his party to be held between
now and the next democratic national convention
wB unavfoidably Prevented, and to slcSre a
E?0?68' ad straightforward declaration of
the party's position on every question upon 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 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.
E. A. Brown, Rice Lake, Wis. If you want
me to do anything for the good of the SisTat
any time do not be afraid to ask me I can nS
help but think that the American people are com
ing to their senses and they are beginninc To
see that they sold their birthright in 1896 for a
mess of pottage and I would 'like to know how
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 tho party'o
position on every question upon which -the votera of the party desire to speak.
SignecL '
Street.
Postoffice.
State.
County.
Voting precinct or ward.
R2T Fill out Blanks and mail to Commoner Office, Lincoln, Nebraska.
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