The Portland daily press., 1878-11-15
NEW York Letter to Indianapolis journal
ThI Goat In Politics,

In the % congressional District there has
Deen an important result from an insignificant
cause, which quite reminds one of the Chicago
confisgration and Mrs. O'Leary's COW. Some
months ago Mrs. Litch6eld, residing in the I'd
District planted q flower garden. A goat
broke through the fence and converted the ger
aniums and roses into noulishment. Her bus.
band planted his lettuce and tomatoes. A goat
Qt was the same goat) climbed over the fence
and masticated the vegetables. After tears
and swears the crop of beauty and 'garden
sass" was again put into the ground, and
watched by big dog. That detective was de-
coyed away by some fascinating stranger one
night, and the same identical goat climbed up
on the front stoop, crept along on top of the
fence, holding on by his toes, got on to the
woodshed, and thence jumped down, once more
desoiating the verbenas and carrying dsmay to
the early peas. Not being satisfied he went
Tor the clothes-line, and ate one linen
sheet and some gossamer fabrics of feminine
Usefulness. He then started to 90 home, but
stopped on the way out to taste of particular
ly suoculent and savory cotton curtain that
fapped from an open window. Rash act! Fa-
tai dalliance! Litchfsld was awakened BY the
soft, uncertain rustling of that cotton curtain
he seized his revolver, shot at a burglar and
killed the goat The animal was an Irish
mans, and 1t was soon whispered about that
the unhappy Litcbfield had that goats blood
on his hands. Months passed. Li.chfieId was
nominated by the Democrats for Congress in
district that always gives a Democratic major
1ty OF three to one Litchfeld reioiced He
promised offices to his friends. Suddenly, a
% hAf hn nj.
human form raised the terr bls cry, 'Wbo
killed tn lrishman's goat?" aud echo replied.
"Litchtield did IT," The next day the noes.
ton assumed the form of "Who killed the
lrishman's hog?" with the same fatal answer.
The next day everybody asked: s'Wbo killed
the Irishmsn's cslf?" and the form which The
allegation finally took was "Wno killed the
lri-hman's cow?' At tie D. m cratic meet
ines Ltchtield was Indignantly charged with
Hibernian cowicide, and at one Of the meet
ings be was even charged with the crime Of
norslcide. In vain he explained aud pro-
tested. He was hooted down. The neigbb,rs
OF the man who owned the Invaluable goat
assembled in b)dy, nominated O'Reilly for
Coueress against that desoator of hsppy
homes, the miscreant Iltchfield. In vain
OReilly raised a banner bearing the efigy of
cow IN the last agouies Of dissolution, and as 1t
was borne about the streets it elected bowls of
rage against Liichfield. Finally the Republ-
cans, who had given up all notion of nominate
ing candidate themselves, fell in behind the
bovine banner, and OR,illy was actually
elected to Congress on Tuesday by majority
OF 1858! This is one of the episodes of the
canvass that seems to have an amusing side
Cyncs might see in it derisive comment on
self-government. At all events, it seems
ikely that goats in the I'd Congressional Dis
trict OF New York will hencef forth hold posi-
ton Of superstitious regard scarcely second to
mat OF the geese in the annals of Rome.