Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-01-20

After nnlSnlnB his ChOiSS hS hioeS~
his horse and started to town to ex-
ercise his right of suffrage. Just at
the psychological moment his attention
was arrested by the loud and distress
ed squealing Of pig, which had been
indiscreet enough to put its head be-
tween the rails of the fence surround
ing a pasture field and was unable to
withdraw it. So the farmer dismount-
ed and tarried long enough to hberate
the unhappy pig. Then he remount-
ed and proceeded to town, only to hnd
that the polls were closed and that
his chance Of voting had gone.
Now when the votes Of that dis
trict were counted, it was found that
the Democratic candidate for the
state legislature had been elected by
the narrow margin of one vote. IL
the Federalist who had been detained
by the squealing pig had voted, then
in a tie the Democratic candidate
would have failed Of election to the
state legislature.
In the legislature there was chosen
a United States senator. He won his
seat without single vote to spare.
So, if that one Democratic assembly
man had failed of election, the Demo-
Gratis Of Rhode Island would have
found themselves unable to send a
Democratic senator to represent them
at Washington.
In the United States senate the
strange chain Of circumstances de-
pended upon a single vote, reached
its climax. So evenly was the senate
divided upon the question Of war
with England that the war party car
ried by a single vote. The new SEN
ator from Rhode Island voted with
his party for the war, which otherwise
would not have been declared, ac-
cording to this story, or which, at
least, would have been deferred.
Wars have been fought for land,
for gold, for honor, but, so far as Is
known, but one war has ever been
dumb animal-and that mule! This
curious event is assigned the recent
date Of 1907. Sonora Irenos Selgada
was exiled from the republic Of Mica
ragua by reason of "pernicious ac-
tivity against the peace Of mind and
tenure of office of the duly consti-
tuted authorities" He took up his
residence in the neighboring republic
of Hondural, in close proximity to the
international boundary line.
One dark night 35 dashing cavalry
men of the Nicaraguan army crossed
the line and boldly captured Senior
Selgada's mule! That gentleman un-
burdened himself to the foreign office,
at Tegucigalpa, and urged that he be
given satisfaction.
AS it CHANGED, President Bonilla, of
Honduras, was just then on extremely
hard terms with his Nicaraguan
neighbors. Senior Selgada's mule Of
fered him a cause belli. Clearly the
theft of this mule constituted an in
suit of such magnitude that the hon
or of Honduras could be saved only
by prompt and decisive action. Ac-
cordingly, under the instructions of
President Bonilla, the Honduran min
lister for foreign affairs, opened up a
correspondence with Senor
Jose de Gomez, occupying the like
office at Managua, the capital Of Mica
ragua. Full details Of the outrage,
together with a demand for the i'm
mediate restitution Of the mule and
an ample apology for the theft, were
laid before the Nicaraguan foreign Of
flee. This demand was couched in
such terms as almost to constitute an
ultimatum, the result being spirited
reply from Nicaragua that amounted
to a virtual refusal to continue III.
plomatic correspondence upon mat
ter of such little moment.
Alarmed at this state Of affairs,
President Roosevelt and President
Diaz, Of Mexico, set the machinery of
the two republics of the north in
motion and succeeded in having
board Of arbitrators appointed. But
this board was unable to effect
peaceful solution of a question that
so vitality touched the honor Of two
nations. Diplomatic correspondence
ceased, and the feelings Of Honduras
and Nicaragua soon attained such a
pitch that the only recourse was war.
Ronilla's troops invaded Nicaragua,
and the war was on in earnest.
Among the many wars Of Mexico
was that Of 1888, known as Guerra
de los Pasteles," or the "Pie War"
This name is truly descriptive, since it
occurred by reason Of a few pies bak-
ed by a French pastry cook Of the
city of Mexico and stolen by hungry
poems. The cook entered a claim for
indemnity in the sum of 100000.
Strangely enough, the French govern
ment took cognizance Of this claim
and made formal demand upon the
Mexican authorities for its immediate
payment, and, stranger still, the claim
was paid.