Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1902-09-26
THE MEDBpER.
81 ne coat us PIT il on"

Ever since the beginning Of the
present political fight over the issue OF
license against prohibition it has beer
a common occurrence to read that some
local W. C. T. Z, has passed resolu.
ry law aud calling upon the general
assembly to retain it upon the statute
books. Such was the case in Brattle-
boro week or two ago, and Brattle-
boro is only one of many towns whose
temperance societies have done this.
Now there can be no doubt that this
is an honest expression of desire to
promote the cause of temperance, but
it is equally true that ninety nine out
of every hundred of the women who
pass the resolutions never read the
text of the prohibitory law and could
not give an intelligent summary of it,
provisions to save their lives. They
do not even know that there are sec
tions of the present law which would
no doubt be declared unconstitutional
by the highest judiciary in the coun-
try. In truth the zeal of these
good women blinds them to a knowl-
edge of facts. and it shows conclusive
ly how people will champion a thing
about which they know nothing mere
ly because the thing was at one time
put forward with the solemn promise
that it would reform mankind.
rhe baseball game of last Saturday
brought to close the most successful
season which the sport has ever en-
ioyed in this town. Not simply from a
financial standpoint has this success
been achieved, although there is a sum
not far from $1,000 in the treasury of
the association, but from the stand
point of pure amateur sport-and sport
of this kind cannot help being beneti-
cial to the community. No such inter
est as has been shown this season
would have been taken had not the
members of the different teams been
local boys who were known just as well
off the diamond as on it. For this rea-
son alone many people began attend
ing the games. Upon the formation of
the league it was known that there was
a small number of rooters who would
be in regular attendance but the man
agement had no idea that so many
people would turn out regularly. 1t
W az ilON 1lllll'la lllV LlNA lllhN llltlt w ul
a base ball game on which brought
this about. 1t was because fso-and so
is going to catch for the Union or
what s-his-name will play third for the
Wheel club, = In fact nearly every
body who attended the. games had
interest in some one of the play
ers. And now that the season has been
brought to a close in such a sportsman
like manner and with such good feel
ing on all sides the Meddler is inclined
to quote a poem which will TO doubt
express the thoughts of many. 1t is as
follows:
Close the score book, all i, over, shove the bats
down in the bag;
For the winds around the bases with the leaves
are playing tag,
There's a color to the landscape and chill that
speaks 80 true
That the summer has departed, sad at heart va
say adieu.
Roll in moth balls shirts and Jerseys, pile on
top the gloves and mltts,
no more roOters round the diamond, no strike
outs. no three base hits.
soon the snow against the back-.top will be
drifted in pile,
Let the umpire live to suffer. all your protests
place on file
Draw the wind from hest-protector, from your
feet spiked shoes unlace;
Lift the mask from off the catcher. call the
players from the base
slowly now across the diamond sheep and herd
er wend their way.
so impatient crowd awaiting in the chill sep
TENDER day.
All is over but the mem'ry. how they lost, and
how they won,
raise for those who helped the winning. same
for those who failed to run.
If the Blllie~. and the EddieS all whose names
we fail To pen;
IeIe's wish when Spring awaken>, we may
greet them all again.
The Nediler.