Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1906-06-15
THE MEDDLER.
"TAe ooat ms yoa PIT n on"

~ W. fhaf re- -" 7 - -
After week spent in interfering
with nothing more serious than tue GO
ings and eOmings Of sundry members
of the fnny tribe The Meddler returns
to his job of medding with local top
les, Things happened while The Med
dler was ON his vacation. Perhaps the
principal occurrence was the solar
plcXus blow which Governor Bell : as
pirations received. and what jolt II
was. The blow that most killed IA
Their was n mere touch compared with
il. The Meddler's prediction that the
governor would be elected TO member
ship in the Down and Ont club came
true with vengeance, Ii Is crafty
ing TO think that the people of the see
ond congressional district were so APP
preciative Of wsat is best for their
own interests, aud Colonel llaskins is
no doubt proud of the broad seal of ap-
prevail which has been thus placed on
his work as a legislator. The governor
ought to know SOW how IL feels TO bite
of more than one can chew,
Colonel lIaskins Is victory, however,
was not the only important thing that
happened while The Meddler was rus.
tieating in the wilds of the Pine Tree
state. New life was given the state :
attorneyship contest by the advent of
champion of the cause of Younger
Brother Barber In communication
TO the local press this champion painted
the capabilities of his candidate in such
glowing colsrs that people have since
Keen marvelng TO think that such
Webster was in their midst and they
knew il not Young Mr.. Barber is, ac.
cording TO his champion, one of the
most brilliant legal lights in the coun'
" if not in the state, and his claims
to the office of state's attorney are so
strong that the question of precedent
has no standing along with them.
In advocating the claims of Mr.. Ba-
con for the Office in question The Med
der has urged the argument of prece'
dent because he thinks ii ought TO be
followed in filling a position which
must necessarily be held by lawyer
and which ought to be given to the
lawyer whose experience is the largest.
But if the word precedent has such a
harsh sound as some communications
received this week would lead The
Mcddler to believe, he is willing to
drop il altogether, TO come out square,
toed and say that Mr.. Bacon ought to |
be the next state s attorney of Wind |
ham county because he would make a
better one than Mr.. Barber regardless |
of the difference in the length of prae. |
tice.
No lawyer can be fairly judged by |
the number of cases he has on the /
docket. Acknowledgement Fits, for 1
example. had two or three times as
many eases on the docket when he
had been in practice two sr three years
as he has at present but that does not
signify that his ability as jurist has
been on the wane. Mr.. Barber may
have more cases on the docket than Mr..
Bacon but that does not signify that
his experience is any wider or his
ability any greater. It's the impor-
ance of the cases that counts. As a
natter of fact The Meddler does not
tnow of single really important ease
hat Mr.. Barber has ever tried alone,
md as far as ability is concerned Mr..
Bacon S natural endowments give him
long lead TO say nothing of his
broader training.
Mr.. Barber doubtless ''meets the JEFF
ersonian requirements in that he is
onest and capable, y but in the Med
ler s opinion Mr.. Bacon is just as hon
st and enough more capable so that
e ought to be chosen states attorney
n preference to Mr.. Barber. If the f,
after s progress toward the front has
een as rapid in the few years he has
zen in practice as it is said to be, he +,