Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1876-12-02

INJUSTICE TO MARK TWAIN.
THE REPUBLICAN MANAGERS BOLDLY
STOLE HIS IDEAS.
A Sketch that Supplied the Plan for the
Personal Warfare against ME-. Tilden
I'm the Late Campaign.
From Sketches by Mark Twain.
A few months ago was nominated
for Governor of the great State Of
New York, to run against Stewart L.
Woodford and John T. Hoffman, on
an Independent ticket. I somehow
felt that I had one prominent advan-
tage over these gentlemen, and that
was good character. It was easy to
see by the newspapers, that if ever
they had known what it was to bear
a good name, that time had gone by.
It was plain that in these latter years
they had become familiar with all
manner of shameful crimes. But at
the very moment that I was exalting
over my advantage and joying in it in
secret, there was a muddy undercur-
rent of discomfort "rilling" the
deeps of my happiness-and that
was the having to hear my name
banded about in familiar connec-
ton with those of such people. I
grew more and more disturbed. FL
nally I wrote my grandmother about
it. Her answer came quick and
sharp. She said:
'You have never done one single
thing in all your life to be ashamed
of-not one. Look at the newspa-
pers-look at them and comprehend
what sort of characters Woodford
and Hoffman are, and then see if
you are willing to lower yourself to
their level and enter public canvass
with them"
It was my very thought | I did
not sleep single moment that night.
But after all, I could not recede. I
was fully committed and must go on
with the fight. As I was looking
listlessly over the papers at break
fast, I came across this paragraph,
and I may truly say I never was so
COMPOUNDED before
-PERJuRY.-Perhaps, now that Mr.. Mark
Twain is before the people as q candidate
for Governor, he will condescend to ex.
plain how he came to be convicted of per-
Cochin China, in 1863. the intent OF which
perjury was to rob Q poor native widow
and her helpless family OF meagre plan
tain-patch, their only stay and support in
their bereavement aud their deSOlatiOn.
Mr.. Twain owes it to himself. as we'll as to
to clear this matter up. Will he do it,
I thought I should burst with
amazement? Such q cruel, heartless
charge-I never had seen Cochin
China! I never had heard of Waka-
wax I didn't know a plantain
patch from q kangaroo! I did not
know what to do. was crazed and
helpless. I let the day slip away
without doing anything at all. The
next morning the same paper had
VnAo -AOOAAAS AOAC.
S1aMr1cANr.-Mr. Twain, 1t will be OBJ
served, is suggestively silent about the
Cochin China perjury.
IMem.-During the rest of the
campaign this paper never referred
to me in any other way than as " the
infamous perjurer Twain.
Next came the Gazette with this:
WANTED TO KNow.-Will the new candi.
date for Governor deign TO explain to GER
tain of his fellow citizens (whO are suffer
ing to vote for him j the little circunl-
stance Of his cabin mates in Montana los
until at last, these things having been in.
variably found on Mr.. Twain's person or
in his "trunk" lnewspapers he rolled his
%rePsin,t they falt compelled to give hfme
friendly admonition for his own good, and
on q rail, and then advised him to leave q
occupied in the camp. viii he do this3
Could anything be more DELHI
erately malicious than that? For I
never was in Montana in my life.
latter this, this journal customarily
spoke of me as "Twain, the Montana
Thief,"]
Igot to picking up papers appre-
hensively-much as one would lift o
desired blanket which he had some
idea might have q rattlesnake under
it. One day this met my eye:
TIE Lu NAILED by the sworn affidavits
OF Michael O'Flanagan. Esq, Of the Five
Points, and Mr.. Kit Burns and Mr.. John
AlleA, Of Water street, It Is established
that Mr.. Mark Twain's vile statement that
the lamented grandfather Of our noble
hanged for highway. robbery. is . brutal
and gratuitous lie, without single shadow
of foundation in fact. It 10 disheartening
to virtuOus men to see such shameful
means resorted to, to achieve political sue
graves and defiling their honored names
with Islander. When we think of the an
guish this miserable falsehood must cause
the innocent relatives and friends Of the
deceased, we are almost driven to incite an
and unlawful vengeance upon the traducer.
But no; let us leave him to the agony Of Q
decorating coincidence Though II passion
should get the better Of the public, and in
its blind fury they should do the traducer
jury could convict and no court punish the
perpetrators of the deed.)
The ingenious closing sentence
had the effect of moving me out Of
bed with despatch that night, and
out at the back door also, while the
outraged and insulted public"
surged in the front way, breaking
furniture and windows in their right
eous indignation as they came, and
taking off such property as they
could carry when they went. And
yet I can lay my hand upon the
Book and say that I never slandered