Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1910-10-06
MAYOR THAYER WRITES
TO PRESIDENT MELLEN.
Comments on Recent Letter from Head
of New Haven Road.


Mayor Thayer of Norwich on We'd
nesday sent out the following:
An Open Letter to Charles S. Mellen:
| have been fletcheriZing bit on that
Mellen's Food which the Editorial as
sociatiOn are now advertising SO eX-
tensively. 1t seems to be very good
for infants; satisfying to the editorial
stomach, and who wants to bet that
the Great Untagged will not soon be
out with testimonials in it's favor?
The Old Road" as the Great Untagged
Familiarity and lovingly know the n. Y,
n. H. & H, must have come at last to
feel the pressure of public opinion to
drive you to the letter writing stage,
as the dire straits Of the plain people
whom Lincoln loved brought me there.
Anyhow, welcome ito the Publicity Blu
reau.
You see, it is this way: I have been
twice entertained within the last few
days Firstly, | saw the "Mikado."-
Secondly, l read your latest letter to
the Editorial association. Both made
me laugh. Didn't you laugh when you
sent out the letter? Now go and hear
the ''Mikado." and laugh. Don't look at
FIFTH! Give your undivided attention
to Pooh bah. | couldn't help thinking
of Mr.. Pooh-bah as / read your letter.
1t is nice of you to tell Connecticut
folks just how they should regulate
The Old Road and what sort of
out for your revisions Of the tariff
downward by the Aldrich plan. | sup
pose Andy Gates would be satistac-
tory judge Of your Court of Commerce.
Eth? You assert that we (The Old
Road have never wilfully promoted
any legislation which the directors, or
officers, have thought to be in any re-
spect injurious to the public. But tell
us, where do the plain people the pub
lie get off? After you shall nave
studied Mr.. Pooh-bah you will see why
we laugh. It's the Old Road, don't you
see that decides what is injurious to
the public. and what il beneficial. They
volunteer to- do this grand work. Pooh
bah was Lord High Chancellor and ai
other high officials, including Inspector
OF Pumps. On the trial of this great
question: What is injurious to the pub
lie? YOU are prosecutor, attorney for
defendant jury, judge of the trial court,
court of appeals, clerk of the court
yea. and you are inspector or pumps!
Pooh bah as prosecutor presents the
plaintiffs case and represents the de-
PENDANT as ooh-bah defendants at
torfey AS judge, Pooh bah instructs
Pooh bah, the jury, to return a Verdlct
against the public. As jury, Pooh bah
returns the verdict as instructed, and
as nudge Pooh bah accepts the verdict.
The public appeals. and Pooh-bah as
appellate tribunal aff1rms Poohbah's
judgment entered on Pooh bah's YER
dict: Pooh bah ais clerk records the
judgment and the matter is res adJur1-
cata-and the public be damned And
10 when the public is barred (ano
damned) doesn't Pooh-bah, as inspec-
tor of pumps work the pump handle.
and doesn't the eight per cent. watel
flow from the spout for the widows and
orphans to drink? Oh, papai Oh,
Pooh bah.
Now I am not saying word against
widows and orphans ] believe every
orphan ought to have some eight pei
cent water from Pooh bah's pump;
and the widows, God bless EN-, they
ought to drink from the same old pump
with the dividends revised downward
on the Norwich to New London pla1 =.
You see it don't much matter hos-
big you make the dividends, so long is
Pooh bah decides what injureth not the
public. and the rate and frequency of
the Aldrich revisions downward. But l
have been thinking whether Pooh-bahs
decisions may not in time make widows
our of the wives Of our working men
who cannot stand the Aldrich mode of
downward revision forever All there
il difference in deacons and there are
widdys and Widdys Now you have
de cided that the. Old Road has pro-
notad To legislation injurious to the
p1hrl.: the decision has been affirmed
by Poeh-bah on appeal But [ have
locked IL vain in your letter for the
negative assertion. therefore. TO eX-
ercise the end men and keep them in
practice. l will hand out this conun-
drum: Has the Old Road. or it's agents,
discouraged legislation desired by the
public?
A member of the last legislature told
me he was offered $500 to vote against
the public utilities bill. This is d start
ling proposition in the land of steady
habits-or would have been startling
prior to the Hartford conVention-but
let the end men masticate for a while
on another conundru1n which ] have
wrestled with: What part of the pub
lie would be sufficiently interested to
pay $500 per for votes to defeat the
public utilities bill?
While the end men are Fletcherizing
these tough nuts. I viii as you do.
ask leave to discuss this and other
questions more fully later
Have you seen anything of the Great
Untagged?
HO, for the Senate.
CHAS. f.. THAYER.
Norwich. Oct. 5, 1910.