Though far from a prig, Richard Bland (71) is an unbending man. He detests war and all forms of violence, blood sports, meat eating and tobacco, and he once served a term in prison rather than bear arms. Far from holding these convictions against him, the people of the Lancashire mill town of Nelson have twice chosen little (5 ft.) Dickie Bland to be their mayor. "Nelson doesn't like Dickie's principles," said one townsman, "but it does like Dickie." Beyond ordaining vegetarian menus at official luncheons and showing his disgust at puffed clouds of tobacco smoke, Dickie has returned the town's...
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