The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1916-08-19
OBJECTS TO ADVERTISEMENTS.
II. S. Wardner Would Have Senatorial
Candidates Save Their Money.

Open letter to
The Hon. Carroll S. Page, United
States senator, Washington, ID. c., and
The Hon. Allen NJ. Fletcher, Proctors-
vile, Vt.
Gentlemen:
Ncrmonters are aghast at the spec
tacle you are exhibiting to them. I
say spectacle' advisedly and with the
knowledge Of n native-bon son of Yer
mont that lavish expenditure of hard
earned money without tangible quid
pro quo in sight is regarded by the Yer
montese as nothing short of sensational.
II shocks the Vermont notions of thrift
and frugaity. Therefore, l ask you not
TO disturb further the serenity of this
summer season, and | submit as an al
Tentative to your present course of
procedure the following:
Instead of the huge and costly broad
sides you are spreading before our ewes
ON the pages of the rustic press, insert
little notices (of about one-twcnticth
the present dimcnsions) setting forth
your respective charms and projections.
At the foot Of each little advertise
ment you can append this note: ITO
avoid all appearance of bidding for edi-
torial support and to save money for
better uses | have decided to discon-
tinue political advertising on a fam
boyant scale. - This note would. to some
extent, smother any walls Of disappoint-
ment in some of the newspaper Offices
where long, painful, intelligent and
! finally successful work has been done
/ these many years to foist upon the state
of Vermont the direct primary humbug.
| The fruits or, as one Vermont editor
| happily put il, the fat picking'' of
this labor the Vermont newspapers are
now ENJOYING while the average Yer
mont voter looks on with amazement
and chagrin.
/ have worked constantly, rather hard
and almost singlc-handedlv for the past
| eight years or more to avert from Yer
mont the disgrace of its being carried
| away by the absurd direct primary
| hallucination. | did not succeed. But
Iwhile Vermont is the tailemder of the
states to bow to this piece of political
nonsense, / live i'm hope that Vermont
may have the honor Of being the first
state to confess having made the blund
or and to repeal the law and thus show
that the state has awakened to the con
tempt with which the direct primary
nostrm is regarded by men whose iudg
ment is of value. Though neither of yol
gentlemen raised a finger in behalf OF
Vermont to save the state from the er
ror and burden of a direct primary
statute, | do not nurse resentment but
offer You gratuitously the above re
cited plan for your financial and menta
relief.
Should you, in gratitude, having
adopted my suggestion, find that som,
measure of reward is due me, you ma,
lpav me, say two thousand dollar
$4,000, which l figure as about ten
per cent of what my plan should say,
You. Although | need the money,
agree that when you have paid me tn,
above sum / will donate the same t,
lsuch really worthy Vermont institu
tions as the Vermont Historical society
the Old Constitution House associa
tion, or the Vermont state fair.
With sympathy (Which l admit i
diluted by amusemcnt) and with as
surances of my distinguished considera
ton, l am, dear sirs,
Your obedient servant,
II. S. WARDNER.
New York, Aug. 1G.