Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-05-19
Miseellaneuus &sadina.
WARS OF TRIVIAL ORIGIN.
Great Conflicts Often Brought About
By Events of Little importance.

BY Events Of Little Importance.
1t Is expected that the raising OF
the wreck of the Maine from the mud
of Havana harbor will settle once for
all the question Of whether the war
with Spain was precipitated by an
outburst of righteous Indignation or
by a display of unreasoning popular
fhry that gave neither time nor op-
pprtunity for investigation or sober
second thought.
| Champ Clark Is given as authority
for the statement that the war Of 1912
is attributable to the squeal Of a
Rhode Island pig.
| Opinion as to either the necessity or
the advisability of war with England
was divided, with the Democratic par
| ty favoring and the Federalists oppos-
| ing a resort to arms Up In little
Rhode Island, on one fateful election
day, one lukewarm Federalist put off
| going to the polls until the last min
ute. After finishing his chores, he
mounted his horse and started to town
| to exercise his right to suffrage. Just
at the Psychological moment his at
tention was arrested by the loud and
distressing squealing Of a pig, which
had been indiscreet enough to put its
head between the rails Of the fence that
surrounded the pasture field, and was
unable to withdraw 1t. So the farmer
dismounted and tarried long enough to
liberate the thoughtless pig. Then he
mounted his horse again and hastened
| to town. only to find the polls closed
and his chance of voting irretrieva-
bly, gone.
| When the votes Of that district
were counted, it was found that the
Democratic candidate for the state
legislature had been elected by the
narrow margin of one vote. If the
Federalist who had been detained by
the squealing of his pig until after
the closing of the polls had voted, the
election would have resulted in a tie,
and the Democratic candidate would
have failed to win his seat in the
state legislature.
In the state legislature a United
States senator was chosen. He won
his seat without a single vote to spare.
So If that one Democratic assembly
man had failed of election the Demo-
Gratis of Rhode Island would have been
unable to send Democratic senator to
represent them at Washington.
| In the United States senate the
strange chain of circumstances de-
pendent upon a single vote reached
its end and climax. So evenly was the
senate divided upon the momentous
question of war or peace with England
that the war party carried the day by
a single vote. The new senator from
Rhode Island voted with his party.
for the war, which otherwise would
not have taken place, or which, at
least, would have been deferred.
Wars have been fought Tor land, for
fame, for food, for gold, for honor and
for women: but 1t remained for the
year Of grace, 1907, to place upon rec
ord a war waged for a mule. Senior
Arenos Selgada was exiled from the
republic OF Nicaragua on account OF
pernicious activity against the peace
of mind and tenure of office of the
duly constituted authorities, and show
ed his lack of judgment and good
taste by settling in the neighboring
republic of Honduras, In close proX-
unity to the international boundary
line. One dark night thirty-five ca
valrymen of the Nicaraguan army
crossed the line and boldly captured
Selgada's mule.
| Selgada told the tale Of his woes
to the department of state at Teguci-
/ galpa and demanded redress.
AS it happened, President Bonilla of
Honduras, imagined himself the Napo-
leon of the west and was literally
longing for casus belli that his thirst
for martial glory might be gratified.
Plainly the theft of Selgadas gray
mule was an insult of such magnitude
that the honor of Honduras could be
saved only by prompt and decisive
| action. Acting under his instructions,
Senor Augusta c. Coello, minister Of
foreign affairs opened diplomatic cor
respondence with Jose de Gomez,
| holding a like office in the Nicaraguan
cabinet, giving full details concerning
the outrage and demanding immediate
restitution of the mule to it's owner,
and ample apology to the offended
government. The demand was couch
/ ed almost i'm the terms of an ultima
tum and elected an equally spirited
reply, with a virtual refusal to con-
tinue diplomatic correspondence in re-
lation to a matter of such little mo-
ment.
| Alarmed at the loud barking of the
dogs of war, President Roosevelt, OF
the United States, and President Diaz
of Mexico, set the machinery Of the
two great republics of the north in
motion, and succeeded I'm having a
board of arbitrators appointed. But
the prospect of a peaceful solution OF
a question so vitally touching the su-
persensitive honor" of the two war
like nations was too CALLING to be en-
dured. The interchange of diplomatic
discourtesies continued, and the feel
ings of all concerned soon grew so
warm that war was the only recourse.
Bonila's troops invaded Nicaragua for
the purpose of recapturing the mule,
and the war was on in earnest.
Mexico has had numberless revolu-
tions (once enjoying" 13 of these lit
tie disturbances in period of II
months), some of which had curious
and remarkable origins. The republic
has not been involved in many foreign
: wars; but one of these (Which was
really only a near-war) was brought
about by as odd and trivial cause as
: ever led a strong nation to take ad-
vantage of the helplessness of a minor
power. The episode is known in Mex
ican history as Guerra de los Paste
les" or the Pie war.