The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-03-01
STAMFORD FOLD GUARD"
 SPANKED BY ELECTORS FOR
 GREATER STRATFORD'S SAKE

placing it on the list of rapidly grow ing communities. but they sent the
 bosses to a back seat.
 There is a legend in Stratford that the iIrepressible and energetic Sheriff Charles H. Stagg just by looking at a voter can work some subtle change in the voters own mind, causing him to
 come out of the darkness in which he
 had intended to cast his ballot and
 s'Vote right
 The sheriff sat within a few feet of
 the ballot box last night. He care
 fully scrutinized the electors as they
 came through. But nothing came of
 it. Perhaps this was because one of
 the stalWarts of the greater Stratford
 group quietly took Q seat on the plat
 form between the sheriff and the bal
 lot box, thus cutting off the free pass
 age of the hypnotic force.
 men and the influences back of them
 without gloves He pointed out the
 great need that existed for the inn
 provement. how much it was desired
 by the larger portion of the people,
 and how inconsistent, illogical and neglectful of the true welfare of the
 town was their attitude of dog in the manager opposition
 Father OfConnor on taking the plat form at the request of the people con- posing the large majority of the meet ing, said that he considered the man ner in which the selectmen has treated the trolley proposition as the larg- est joke since Dr. Cook of North Pole fame took in'' the King of Denmark But fortunately the people of Strat- ford were not so gul1ib1e as the King of Denmark.
 Said Father O'Connor: 'EThey are asking in. the playhouses of Bridgeport why those places of amusement are no longer patronized by the people of GStratford. and the answer is that the people of Stratford remain at home to laugh at their town officials
 Can you blame then?'' inquired the speaker.
 NO! No!' replied many voices.
 Father O'Connor then spent some time in considering the claim of the selectmen that State Highway Com missioner Macdonald would refuse to accept Barnurn avenue for State pur- poses unless it should be laid out with 12 feet of macadam on each side or the track.
 the Highway Commissioner which showed that the commissioner enter tained no such purpose.
 He then entered upon powerful in ttNo oligarchy of from four to eight men can rule a free and enlightened community. The whole question is no longer one of the trolleys, but one of simple decency, and the common right of men. These selectmen have been instructed by a town meeting what to not done what they we're ordered to do. In this country the majority rules, and the se1ectmen have over riden the will of the majority. They evidently believe that the people have no rights. All the rights they are willing to concede to the people ap- parently are the right to pay taxes and the right to buy a drink on Sun day.''
 The latter was indeed a home thrust, such as only a fearless and informed has long been claimed that certain persons in Stratford enjoy the privi- lege, above the law, of dispensing li- quors on Sunday, while others, in the privilege, Or dare not exercise it.
 At anyrate no speaker thereafter took up the cudgels in defense of ''wet'' Sunday for Stratford, nor, in case Sunday in Stratford is to be wet in favor of giving the right to furnish the moisture only to certain persons.
 When Fr. o'connor finished with the 'old guard there was nothing to do but bury the dead and repair the 
 the indictment of ring rule had been received showed that the electors were still thinking what they thought when they voted for a moderator.
 And it was MT. Judson, as before related, who came to the rescue.
 The seIectmens being constructively n state of rigor uaortis, the eloquent senator buried them in commendation. 1 He made this sacharine dose palatable Q the electors by vivid and eloquent of the New Haven Rail l ,oad company, which is not very pop liar in Stratford. But he made his | pig 11it as they say at Polls, when he | declared eff the New Haven Railroad 1 s too mean to pay this $3,O00 or $4,0000 1 necessary to give 12 feet of macadan 1! ,n either side of the tracks, then the | title town of stratford will pay it.''
 This sentiment was nightly applaud 1 d. for of course the advocates of a | greater Stratford realize that it would l lot hurt the New Haven Railroad, i which is receiving a valuable franchise additional two feet of macadam, and 1 If course they would prefer a F foot 1 'oadway.
 Before MT. Judson finished he had, i IS far as it lay in the power of any )ody to do such a, feat, restored the | old guard'' to confidence in itself. He l rad bound up it's wounds, fed it with l ,il and wine and consumnated a com l ,lete surrender to the public sentiment | which they had def1ed.
 By gosh, only our Silly could do | he Putney district, Senator Jud- l on, metaphorically led the old guard l ut of the arena, timing the beautiful | of his softest phrase to the | it's crippled members.
 F'r. O'Connor, made brief reply to senator Judson, saying, "I have a lad even hoped some day to see him governor. I respect him also because le is older than I am, and I have ,een taught. that the young should re- poet the old.''
 After the applause because of this ;entle thrust had subsided, Fr. O'Con- lor resumed, saying: "But I am a lit le amazed at MT. Judsons' attitude ere tonight. He has been going about he state as a reformer, telling us that ye must be very careful whom we elect or senator, because the interests will -et the senators if we don't watch out. Ind vet he would have us believe that t is not necessary for us to keep a trict eye upon the officials of our wn- town. Only sena tors it seems ave ears deaf to all save the jingle | f money. fEWe mean to be aref,11 abo11f Our SeIectmen and thai