The news and herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1876-1881, 1876-11-16
RUNNING FOR GOVERNOR.
Mark Twain Experiences q "Campaien
of Defamation"

A few months ago 7 was nominal
eel for Governor Of the great State
Of New York, to run against Stewart
l.. Woodford and John II. Hoffman,
on an independent ticket. I some
how felt that J. had one prominent
advantage over these gentlemen,
and that was good character. It
was easy to see by tho newspapers
that if they had ever known what it
was to beer good name, that time
had gone by. Itwasplain that in these
latter years they had become fanil
iar with I'LL manner of shameful
crimes. But at tho very moment
that was eXalting my advantage
and joying in it in secret, there was
u muddy untlercurrcnt of discomfort
''riling the depths Of my happiness
--and that was the having to hear
my n'me banded about in flmiliar
connection with those of such peo-
pie. [ grew moro and more disturbed.
Finally [ wrote to my grandmother
about it. Her answer came quick
and sharp. She said
"Iou have never done one single
thing in all yolTdife to be ashamed
OF not one. Look at the ncwspa
pers-look at them and comprehend
what sort Of characters Woodford
and Hoffman are, and then see if you
arc willing to lower yourself to their
level and enter u public canvass
with them
lt was my very Thought. I did
not sleep asingle moment that night
But, after all, could not rcccdc. L
was fully committed, and must 90
on with the fight. AS [ was looking
llstlcssly over the papers Mt break
fast came across this paragraph,
and may truly say 1 never was 50
confonndcl before:
"PERJuRy.-Pc"haps, now that Mr.
Mark Twain is before the people as
a candidate for Governor, he will
condesccNd to explain how ho came
to be convicted of perjury by thirty
Four Witnesses, in Wukawuk, Cochin
China, in 1SG3-thc intent Of which
perjury was to lob a. poor native
widow and her helpless family of a
mcagrc plantnti IL patch, their on'y
stay AMI support in their bcrcava-
mcnt and dcsolation. Mr. Twain
owes it to himself as w IL as to the
great people whose suffrage he asks,
to clear the n,attor up. Will he do
it,"
I thought I should burst with
amazcmcnt ! Such II cruel, heart
less charge-I never had Scc,.
Cochin China [ never had heuod
Of WaknWak / didn't know plan
tntlon patch from II kangaroo I
did not know what to do. T was
craZcd and helpless. I let the dav
slip away without doing anything at
Ill. The next morning the same
paper had this--notlling more
"SiGNtIcANr -AIr., Twain, it will
be observed, is suggcstivcly silent
about the Cochin China perjury"
L-Nem.-During the rest OF the
campaign. this paper never referred
to nc III any other way than rs "lhc
lnfHn ors pcrjurer Twain.
Next came the Gazette with this
"WANTED TO KNow--Will the new
candidate for Governor dcign to
explain to certain of his fcllow-citi
.zens (who are suffering to vote for
him the little circumstance of his
cabnmatcs in Montana losing small
valuablcS from time to time. until at
last these things hlviny been invnria
ply tounl on Ar. Twain'spcrs IL orin
his trunk newspapers he rolled his
traps in,) they felt compelled to give
HIM friendly admonitlon for his
own good, ana SO tarrcd and fcntl-
cred linn and rode lin on rail, nr, |
then advised him to leave u pcrmV
ncnt vacuum in the place he usually
occupied i'll the camp? Will he do
| this =
Could anything be more Uclibcr-
atc!v malicious than that? For |
never was in Mont,ina in my life.
, After this, this journal cl,stomari-
ly spoke Of me as Twain tnc Mon
tuna Thief"
S'h L" l'i' Ni'iS w l'RPeIh tpplc-
hcnslvcl y--much rs one would hit Il
desired blanket which he had some
idea NIGH! have II rattlcsnako undtr
it, One day this met my eye:
"IHE LIE NAiLEp.--.Dy the sworn
atlidavits of Michael U'Flannagan,
ESD, of the Five Points, and MIR.
Kit Burns and John Allen, of Water
| street, it is established that Mr..
Mark Twains vile statement tllat
Che lamcnted grandfather of our
noble standard bearer, John L. Hotl-
man. was hanged for highway rob
,oery is u brutal and grat,utous lie,
without II s;hgle shadow Of founda,
ton in fact. 1t is dishcartening to
virtuous men to see such shame
ful means rcsorted to, to achieve pG.,
lltlcal success, as tl.o attacking OF
the dcld III their graves and dctam-
ing their honorcd names with Sian
der. When we think of the anguish
this miserable fnlsehood must cause
the innocent relatives and friends
OF the deceased, we are almost driven
to incitG an OUTRAGED and inSultoI