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The Commoner.
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,V.O$tJMH.5f NUMBER 51
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DEMOCRATS ARE PUSHING THE PRIMARY PLEDGE
Interest in tho primary pledge by democrats
generally seems to have been revived with tho
closing of tho year 1905, and tho indications aro
that this campaign for the organization of the
democratic party by its rank and file will make
great progress during tho year 190G.
As tills copy of Tho Commoner may be read
by some one not familiar with the details of tho
primary pledge plan, it Is necessary to say that
according to the terms of this plan every demo
crat is asked to pledge himself to attend all of
tho primaries of his party to bo held between
now and tho next democratic national convention,
unless unavoidably prevented, and to secure a
clear, honest and straightforward declaration of
tho 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 organisa
tion and asking to have their names entered on
the roll, or they can fill out and mail tho blank
pledge, which 1s printed on this page.
Extracts from letters received at The Com
moner office follow:
. B. F. Evans, Lufkin, Tex. Enclosed please
find primary pledge signed by twenty-seven demo
crats. Tills is the third list that I have sent in
making seventy-eight in all. I will start a new
list at once and keep it before the people until
every democrat in my county has had an oppor- '
tunity to take the pledge. I have always acted
on the theory that eternal vigilance Is the price
of liberty. Success to The Commoner.
John W. Coghfll, Jr., Roseville, 111. I enclose
a primary pledge signed by twenty good . demo
crats. ' J. E. Hopkins, Flatwoods, W. Va. I have se
cured twenty-five names on this list and will
return it. Let the good work go on.
F. J. Voss, Duluth, Minn. Enclosed please
find pledge with thirty signatures. '
A. J. .Gibbons, Edina, Mo. Enclosed you will
find a list of forty names of democrats who heart
ily approve of the primary pledge, and who will
all vote and work for the democratic ticket. u
M. A. Ellis, Manes, Mo.-l enclose primary
pledge with thirty-five signatures.
Harry N. Briggs, Clarion, Mich. I hand you
herewith seventeen more signers to the primary
pledge. Success to the cause.
James Smyser, Moberly, Mo. You will find
enclosed twenty-six names to the primary pledge.
This makes forty-one I have sent in. I am proud
that I have done this much, ana hope that I
can still do more for the cause for which Mr.
Bryan has been fighting so hard. I hope that
The Commoner may be read by every man, woman
and child in the United States.
T. F. Holden, Rushville, Ind. I send primary
pledge with twelve signatures.
Joseph R. Jarvis, Cobden, 111. Enclosed
please find list of twenty-three signers to the
primary pledge. I think this pledge, if carried
out, will enable the true citizens of this country
to take control of national affairs and it is time
they do so.,-As Senator Newlands of Nevada pre
sented a resolution providing for the introduction
of a bill to incorporate railroads engaged in in
ternational commerce the senator must know
that congress has no power to incorporate any
thing; he must know that during the formation
of the constitution by the federal convention it
was proposed four times to grant tho power to
provide for incorporation to the congress of the
"United States and was voted down each time.
This is positive proof that a majority of the con
vention did not intend to give this power to
-congress. If Senator Newlands does not know,
I will refer him to the proceedings of the federal
convention.
H. F. Williams, Stanberry, Mo. I enclose a
primary pledge with ten signatures.
D. M. Cheezum, Bethlehem, Md. Find enr
closed primary pledge with twenty-five names.
I could secure more, but I have been busy this
fall. After Christmas will get more names, and
also more subscribers to The Commoner
,?t( McGinnis, Huntsville, Mo. Enclosed
find fifty-three signatures to the primary pledge.
These men firmly believe in The -Commoner's
way of organizing the democratic party
L. O. Turnbull, Sullivan, Ind. I enclose seven
signatures to the primary 'pledge.
Hardin Long, Kiugsville, Mo. I am eighty
five years old, and always attend the primaries
and general elections, and I assure you that I
will not fail this time. I feel more lnterbsted in
democratic success now than ever before I am
too old to see many votors, but will do what I can.
Enclosed find primary pledge signed by six dem
ocrats. Henry S. Cassell, Blue Creek, Ohio. I do
not take The Commoner but a friend of mine
gave mo one to read, and as I was looking over
the pages of it I saw the primary pledge plan.
Believing it to be of great help to the success of
the party, I heartily ask that my name bo en
rolled, for I am a Bryan democrat. Push the
good work along.
William Lowery, Denning, Ark. Enclosed
find primary pledge with eight signatures.
Frank E, Abbott, Sterling, Mich. I enclose
primary pledge signed by twenty good demo
crats. C. E. Drinkard, Giltedge, Mont. I wish to
say that I am very much in sympathy with the
work of The Commoner In regard to the ,pr
mary pledge plan. The ranchers and miners,
the men who work with their hands, are becom
ing interested as never before in the political re
forms as proposed by The Commoner. I refer
to the workingmen of Montana. The amount of
radicalism that has developed within tho latst
three years among that class of people in Mon
tana is remarkable. The last election shows the
independence of the voters of this section. As
suro as the democrats put up a strong reform man
on a reform platform they will carry Montana in
1908.
J. Balfour Vance, Chilhowie, Va. I sent in'
my primary pledge when the first call was made.,
I will confess that I am not a good organizer.
But while I have done so little you will always
find me perfectly willing to do anything in my
power, for I love the cause and believe in its
ultimate triumph and that the crowning day is
coming. I will distribute copies of your paper
and take an active part in an organization if it
can be brought about.
H. W. Frazier, KimbUlton, Va. Enclosed
please find :he primary pledge signed, I think
the plan a good one for the organizing of the
democratic party for the battles of 1906 and 1908.
The democratic party wants no more reorganizes,
no more Cleveland, Hill, Parker "Wall Street,"
platforms, no more mum candidates, no more gold
telegrams, but a Jefferson-Bryan candidate and a
Jeffersonian-Bryan platform on which all true dem
ocrats can stand. I am 49 years old, have voted
in every election since I have leen old enough
to have the right to exercise jthat privilege and
duty, and have never scratched a democratic
ticket but the Parker pill was the hardest pill
I have ever tried to swallow. My faith in the
final triumph of the principles for which the edi
tor of The Commoner stands and has so ably and
faithfully defended and maintained, has been
greatly 4 strengthened since the reqent election.
That the democratic party has won a great sig
nal victory in several of the states, especially
that In Ohio is apparent to all and not only is it
a great democratic triumph but Is also a telling
rebuke to bossism and the "stand pat" elements
of the G. O. P. leaders who so loudly defended
republican corruption in the recent campaign.
Let the democratic party move forward, main
tain and defend the right at all times and undor
all circumstances and 'all will be well in ion?
and 1908. im
A. P. Wright, Greenfield, Tenn. I am verv
much in favor of The Commoner's primary nieden
plan, because I think it provides the best wav
in which to arouse the interest of the rank and
file of the party, thereby obtaining a clear and
correct expression of their sentiments upon all
public questions. It seems to me that it is high
time the masses of the voters were becoming
aroused as to their interests, for if wo will look
into the political rottenness that is being per
mitted In our government at the present time
we will not have tq stretch our imagination very
far to picture another Russia in the throes of
one of the greatest revolutions of modern his
tory. Our political parties have become trading
marts of political schemers of the vilest type
They trade and traffic in the franchises of Ameri
can citizens even as horse traders, at county seats
traffic in blind mules. Our state convention
that selected delegates to the last national con
vention was dominated and controlled by two or
three political schemers, and all for their owa
selfish interests. Consequently our delegation
was instructed for Parker, when at least three
fourths of the democrats of the state were op
posed to his nomination. It is, therefore, plain
to me that the time is ripe forr the voters to
get together and crush the political bosses or
quit claiming that this is the land" of the free.
A few more years of present conditions and we
will be under the most despotic government that
was ever known, for there can be no greater
despotism than the political despotism that is
seeking to take possession of American politics
today. Let every voter do his duty and bring
the government "back to the people." I have
already sent my pledge, and I therefore enclose
the pledges of thirty-three true Jeffersonian demo
crats. Success to The" Commoner.
H. L. Watts, Marshall, Ark. So far, I am
in perfect accord with The Commoner, I be
lieve it is doing a good work, and am willing to
do all I can to help the cause for which it has
so bravely fought. I have up to now deferred
signing the "pledge" for this reason: One who
participates in a primary and then fails or re
fuses to support the candidate or platform named,
is said to be treacherous and unfaithful, and
hence politically dishonest. I believe this doc
trine is held to be true by all partisans. la
1892 I supported Cleveland against my will, and,
as I then thought, against my better judgment.
He proved just as recreant as I then believed ho
would. I have pledged to myself that I will
never again support another candidate or plat
form named by and in the interest of that eastern
plutocratic gold standard ring-, now known as
"the Cleveland gang," be it labeled for what po
litical party it may. There may not be another
man that has come to this conclusion, but tho
records of the presidential election of 1904 show
that we are almost "legion." . My best wishes
for The Commoner and the doctrines it so ably
advocates.
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 parjy desire to speak.
.Street.
Signed.
Postoffice..
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State.
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County.
. Voting precinct or ward.
E87 Fll out Blanks and mall to Commoner Office, Lincoln, Nebraska.
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