The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1890-02-06
THE BRATTLEBORO POSTOFFICE
FIGHT!
The Bosses and Spoilsmen Floor
ed, Childs gets 467 Votes 10
lOI for Hines.
Especial to the sFTER.l

HOA soa
Especial to the sIFTER.)
Well, "we've had of
time" as the jubilant old poll-parrot
remarked after her desperate fight
with the monkey, when, as in this
case, S,he monkey got the worst of it.
This has been decidedly lively week
here in Brattleboro, you bet. The
bosses have been out in full war paint,
tomahawks in hand. I" Poo Bah"
Hooker, "Me Too" and the truth
telling Levi, with all their henchmen,
have been praneing about the streets
and through the shops entreating, ex-
horting and denouncing in the same
breath. The virtuous Hooker (who
blandly says he is "not such a id
fool as to be either republican in
New York city or democrat in Ver-
MONTY as well as Levi, the slippery,
fairly frothed at the mouth, so great
was their unse!fsh (O love for pure
and undetiled republicanism, $50 long
as it gives them all the otfices). The
cry all along the line was: "Mug-
wump !" "Mug,oump I" "MUe-
wuMP !" "MUGWUMP ! y"
And, would you believe it, this sense
less Cry fairly bulldozed more than
one hundNed voters, who had deliber-
ately signed petition for Childs' re-
appointment, to sink into their boots
and go back on their honest judg-
ment, and vote against him, at the
crack of the boss" whip. A good
many others were frightened into
keeping away from the polls altogeth-
er. What splendid thing true man
hood is, to be sure Why, whole
brigade of such white livered weak
lings hav'nt enough of the true stuff
In them to make decent backbone
for one genuine MAN But after all,
there were enough independent men
and women left to win by handsome
majority. 1t is said that the spoils-
men-women were fearfully aggressive
and overbearing, making a personal
canvass from house to house, fire.
quently overstepping the bonds of Or
binary politeness and courtesy, when
their demands were denied, as they
were in four cases out of five. When
they get little more used to politics
they will know better how to solicit
votes. Funny stories are told about
the sharp retorts and rebuffs they met
with.
Among the male workers at the
polls, that over-modest young twig
of the law, Hit, the tail end of the
LAWYER firm of which Waterman Gold
"Oily Gammon") is the head, made
himself specially popular and agreea-
BILE (over the left), by challenging
old republican voters, who worked
for and voted the republican ticket
long before he got out of petticoats,
and by putting impertinent questions
to female voters who didn't happen to
vote his ticket. He ought to clap his
swell-head into Hooker's "Sweat
Box" and sweat out the extra self
conceit and sap, and then he'll wear
much smaller hat. He wants aw-
fully to be big boss but don't know
how.
We had also beautiful illustration
of the doctrine that " federal officers
should strictly refrain from meddling
in caucus running" etc. in our friend
=" Hub" Taylor. That chronic pap
sucker, who has fed at the public crib
for generation, and who now holds
lucrative federal office, instantly
droppeahis official tools and business,
up at the north end of the state. on a
peremptory summons from boss Hook
er, and FASTENED to Brattleboro with
all possible speed to help "run the
machine" and :" set 'em up" for his
brother spoilsmen. In Hubs"
eyes, 4" Poo Bah !" Hooker is much
bigger man than old Harrison.
But the thing is done and the peo-
pie have won, in spite of the crack OF
the party whip, and civil service re-
form in Brattleboro is something
more than hypocritical profession to
get votes before election and to be
troddep under foot after election.
Good enough In five minutes after
the result not a leading spokesman
was to be seen, and Hooker's usually
brilliantly Illuminated mansion was
enveloped in darkness and gloom.
He had, doubtless, retired to his
"Sweat Box for refreshment, from
which he will come out wiser man,
l hope.
PEEPING Tom.
Brattleboro, Feb. 1, 1890.
Another friend sends us quite a
lengthy account of the caucus. We
make few extracts:
"well, for poor George, am sorry,