Rensselaer Journal, Volume 12, Number 18, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 October 1902 — A CAMPAIGN FABLE [ARTICLE]

A CAMPAIGN FABLE

A man was brought before a lunacy commission on the charge that he had apartments in an insane asylum coming to him. His neighbors were called in as witnesses, and it was shown that he had burned his own barn. When asked for an explanation the man said: "That barn was full of grain. I discovered that several dozen rats were boarding at* my expense and after giving considerable thought to the question of how best to get rid erf them I hit upon the happy expedient of burning the barn." "Did that kill the rats?" asked his Interrogator. "I guess not,” replied the witness, “but I had the satisfaction of making it hot for them.” Moral —When this man’s neighbors realized that he had applied to the rats the same plan of treatment proposed by free-traders for the trusts, they concluded to make a Statesman of him and run him for congress on a tariff-for-revenue platform.