The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-07-20
Deal Few Cards to Others; Life Is
Not Game of Solitaire.

Sid says in the August American Mag
azine
when | was young fellow worked
as court reporter for newspaper. One
Of the Judges | knew was for a time
mystery. He was poor, inefficient Judge
yet he could never be beaten when he
came up for reelection. The newspapers
roasted him, the lawyers pounded him,
and the good government leagues sat on
him. All the high brows agreed that he
wasn't worth two hurrahs in Honolulu
But he got the votes, He was there with
the wallop. You couldn't bulge him.
Whats more, most people liked him.
AT last some of us discovered the Sc
cret of his power He sat on the bench
all day writing by hand brief sympa.
thetic letters to people in trouble. He got
his tips from the newspapers. When he
read that Jasper Jackowski of Division
street had lost both legs in an accident
at the rolling mill, rendering wife and
two children destitute, he would write
few lines TO Mrs. Jackowski, saving that
he had read the dreadful news, and
wished that he were man of means so
that he might help them. Anyhow, he
felt for them, and hoped that relief
would come to them. Usually he recon-
mended some charitable organization,
where he was sure they could find as
sistanee. Through the years he gradu-
ally built up the belief among common
people that he was a good, kind man,
with a big, gentle heart. And when cleo
ton time came around, they did the rest.
Don't ask me whether he was sincere
because | don't know. Probably he was
half honest, half crook; half real, half
fake. All | know is that he had an in
stinet for appreciation of other peoples
troubles TO an extraordinary degree. Pos
sibly he began the letter writing habit
honestly--with no idea of cashing in on
it-and later developed it into a business.
Perhaps the total effect of his kind words
was good. Anyhow, should hate to call
him an out-ando out hypocrite. And If /
did decide to call him a hypocrite /
should want couple of volumes in which
to do it, so that / might have room for
all the qualifying clauses that would be
necessary in order to make complete
picture of his character However, he
pushed his pen vigorously and nobody
could GUST him.
"But let's, for the sake of argument,
agree to call him a bad man. He was
human, at least He could hear and he
could talk. which is more than some
folks can do. If you gave him cigar, he
thanked you. If you told him your wife's
rheumatism was better, he smiled If
you showed him your sore thumb, he
was sympathetic. At all times he was
expressive and responsive - not speech
less. In other words, he could submerge
his own ego-get it clear out of sight
once in whiie-and give the other fell
low chance to talk about his troubles
and his joys, No wonder he got the
votes. Ii he had run store he would
have had good business. If he had
opened hotel his house would have
been full. If he had operated bank he
would have got deposits You couldn't
have kept him down, because he had hui
man sense and knew how to get on with
folks.
Take tip from this Judge. Call him
a crook if you want to-but take tip
from him. He had the right idea. You
never had TO 60 up to him as YOU do to
dog and urge him to hold up his paw
and speak. He always spoke first.
"There is mistaken idea among some
people that nobody ever runs for any
thing except political candidates. We are
all running for something, all the time;
and Others are running against us. We
are running, not for office, it is true; but
we are running for customers, friends,
clients, for followings of various kinds.
Does it look as if you would be elected
or showed under?"