Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1904-03-25
THE MEDDLER.
az tie coat ms PIT IL en-

Congressman Haskins's position on
the settlement of the postofiice ques-
ton has been similar to that OF the
proverbial flea. You put your hand
where he is and he isn't there. Inc
way Congressman Haskins has backed
and filled In the matter is amusing 10
the disinterested observer ana prop
ably disconcerting to the candidates
and their supporters. When he ieft
town last week Thursday he stated
that he would leave the caucus ar
rangements entirely with the three
Candidates; n few hours later he tele-
graphed that he thought the caucus
ought to be n partisan affair; on FIJI
day the republican town committee
received notification from him That IL
was not within his province to decide
what sort of caucus should be held'
and the same afternoon a second teie-
gram came to Mr.. Fits stating that
he should consider nothing but re-
publican caucus. With all due res
pect to the congressman's views on
the subject, whatever they may be, 1t
would have pleased his local constitu-
ents II he had come out little more
fiat footed and given less grounds for
the statement, which has been heard
frequently this week, that he is strad-
ding.
A favorite defamation with the
schoolboys Of a few years ago began
something like this. "A man must
have capital before starting in bust
ness II 1t Is nothing more than keep
ing a peanut stand" The Meddler does
not remember how the defamation
continued but it could safely go on to
say that "a man must possess tact In
order to sell goods If they are nothing
more than peanuts" Not pretending
to be a salesman The Meddler does not
feel competent to lay down many rules
for this sort of occupation. but OF late
he has noticed the use of methods
which he should think would be apt to
queer trade" When a woman goes
into a store to purchase pair OF shoes
she generally hates to be told that
Mrs. So-and-so Just bought some
like these" No woman likes to have
people think that she Is aping another
In any way If it's nothing more than
wearing shoes made on the same last
Neither does any man like to be told
when looking around for good brand
of cheese that "So-and-so eats so
many pounds of this kind every week
ana won tdhe any OlutT uItihc.
These Illustrations will apply in every
line of business. The method savors
too much of the tactics of the patent
medicine man who advertises. Con-
gresham What's-his-Na Name bought
a trial bottle of our famous hair elixir
and used it with such success that
one wig now lasts him nearly whole
year"
The Meddler spent a short time in
the news store the other day opposite
the dime and half-d dime novel counter,
and he was surprised and amused to
note the number OF grown men who
purchase these brilliantly Illustrated
tales. fold them carefully and place
them on their hip pockets for future
perusal. No wonder the daily news
papers are obliged to become purvey-
ors OF the sensational. Nothing else
would interest the men who spend
their spare time reading about the
narrow escapes of Alkali Ike and the
mysterious disappearance of the
Countess Bullion's Jewels. Practically
every boy passes through the dime
novel stage before he gets out OF his
teens, but The Meddler had always
supposed that few of them carried the
habit into manhood. Evidently he
supposed wrong.
The political wheel has turned again
In Dummerston and the result OF this
latest revolution is the removal Of the
Dummerston license commissioners,
Charles f. Glidden, George Warwick
and Bert Baldwin, for alleged dire
fiction of duty in failing to report their
findings in the recent Rogers hearing.
II takes pretty shrewd man to
keep track of things political in Dunn
merston. The removal of the license
board is the work of the new board of
seectmen which was chosen at the
last town meeting: and it is rumored
that the new license board which has
been appointed Is in favor of chang
ing Dummerston's liquid refreshment
parlor from Rogerss Inn to somewhere
else. Whether there is any foundation
for this rumor will be found out def
nitely pretty soon.
The Meddler.