News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1888-08-16
THAT OLD PIG STORY,
How a Mischievous Little Pig Caus-
ed the War of 1912.

1t all happened in this wise: Two citi-
zens of Providence, r. l., fell in a most
unseemly discussion on account of the
lawless trespassing of pig owned by
one OF them. The aggrieved party pos
sessed a very fine garden, in which it
was his custom to spend his hours of
leisure, wedding, grating and transplant
ing the flowers and vegetables in which
he delighted. But often, as he entered
his garden in the evening, his ears would
be saluted with grunt and rustic, and
the fat form of his neighbours pig might
be seen making hasty flight from the
garden in which it had been placidly
roofing all day.
In high dudgeon the gardener sought
frequent visits, declaring that q little
time spent in repairing the pig-sty
would restrain the animals rowing pro-
pensities. But to this the owner of the
pig responded that if his neighbor would
keep his rickety fences in proper repair,
the pig might take its daily airing with
out temptation, and the garden would
not be endangered.
Repeated misdeeds on the part of the
pig famed the smoulderiDg fires of dis
sension into the flames of open hostility.
At last the crisis came. The owner of
the garden, rising unusually early one
morning, discovered the pig contentedly
munching the last of fine bed of tulip
bulbs. Flesh and blood could stand it
no longer. Selling a pitchfork which
lay near at hand, the outraged gardener
plunged the sharp tines into the hapless
pig, and bore the body, thus fatally i'm
paled, to the sty, where it met the gaze
of its owner an hour or two later.
Thereafter it was war to the knife be-
tween the two neighbors.
Now, what had all this to do with the
war of 1872? The answer is simple.
The two neighbors belonged to thespolit-
ical party known as the federalists.
Through all the outrages that Great
Britain inflicted upon the United
States, while seamen were being I'M
pressed, American vessels stopped on
the high sess, and while every possible
indignity was being committed against
the flag of the United States, the feder-
alists remained friendly to Great Brit
ain, and contested every proposition for
the declaration of war.
But the democratic party was eager
for war, and as British oppression be-
bame more unbearable, the strength of |
the democrats increased. 1t so hap |
pened that the election districts in |
which the two neighbors lived had been
about equally divided between demo
Gratis and federalists, but the latter |
party had always succeeded in carrying
the election. But in 1911 the owner of |
the garden was candidate for the legis-
Iature on the federalisi ticket. His neigh
Dor had always voted that ticket; but
now, with his mind filled with the bitter
of the death of his pig, he
cast his ballot for the democrat. When
,he ballots were counted, the democrat
was found to be elected by majority of
1ne.
When the newly elected legislator
;ook his seat, his first duty was to vote
or United States senator. He cast
lis vote for the candidate of the demo
rats, who was also elected by majority
If one. When this senator took his
place in the United States senate, he
ound the question of war with Great
Britain pending, and after long and
bitter discussion it came to a vote. The
democrats voted for war and the feder-
lists against it. As result of the
citing, war was declared-again by
majority of one vote.