The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1879-10-25

Mark Twain has published the
following open letter 10 his letter
to his countrymen ofcither or any
party: IL have pretty much made
up my mind to run for President.
What the country wants is a can
didate who can not be injured by |
investigation of his past history, |
sothat the enemies of his party |
will be unable to make up any
thing against him that nobody
ever heard before. II you know
the worst about a candidate to
begin with, every attempt TO
spring things ON him will be check
mated. Now am going to enter
the field with an open record. | am
going to own up in advance to all
the wickedness l have done,
aud il any Congressional commit
tee is disposed to prowl around
my biography in the hope Of dis
covering any dark aud deadly
decd thatl have sccreted, why
let il prowl. In the first place, |
admit that trecd q rheumatic
grandfather Of mine in the winter
Of 1850. lIe was old aud inexpcrt
in climbing trees, but with the
heartlcss brutality characteristic
OF me | ran him out the front door
in his night shirt at the point Of a
shot gun, aud cansed him TO bowl
up a maple tree, where he remain
cd all night while | cmptied shot
into his legs. | did this bocaasc
he snored. | will doit again ii |
ever have another grandfather. l
am as inhuman now as l was in
1850. | candidly acknowledge
that | ran away at tho battle Of
Gettysburg. Ny friends have tried
10 smooth over this fact BY ASSERT
ing that | did so for tho purpose Of
initiating Washington, who went
into the woods at Valley Forge for
the purpose of saying his prayers.
| II was a miserable sublcrfuye' |
struck out III stairgllt line for tho
Tropic Of Cancer because was
scared. / wanted my country
saved bu, Ipreirrlc,l to havcsomc-
body else save il. | entertain that
preferences yet. II TIE b bi55lr re-.
putatioa cln b, ob.aiic Only At
l.is cann,a's N patll, an wiling
/, - there FIR IL. provided tbs
caal IN Is empty. lit i l,ilsi,
my in,n,rtal AMI inl wibl. plr-
posc Is log.t ovcs the icnse asrl
20 hons. My inviritble pfntice
IN wlrl,ls ban - bs.ts OFT nl
every fight twJ-tllifl, III ,rn m ~
thai, when | went Ia. This s.cal'
to IN, Napolc1lic IN its gr,nle "
| My lin facial viov' tr, of i IN ~
,locilcl chleact.r, bit thy are
not likely. perhaps, to incrciss my
popularity with tho alsocstcs Of
imitation. I d, MT insist upon
special supremacy Ia, gfet
fundamental principle OF ny life i
| 10 take any kinl can got. Tae
runor that baric.l a deal aunt
under my grape viis wal correct.
The vino mesdsl iestiliziny; my
aunt was to DO blrie | AMI | dcli
Gated hsr to this high purpose
Does that unfit INC for the Prcsi
dcncy /? The constitution OF oa'
country docs mt say 50. NJ Other
citizen WAS over c,lsid ,rcl III
worthy Of this o:ii;s bccsa', h.
enriched his crap, vincs with hi
relatives. Why should b ssicc'
ted a. tho first victim Of an ab'
sur,l prejudice? { aalinit also, that
| am not a friend to the poor min
| regard the poor msn IN tn, prss
cnt condition as 50 much waste,
raw material. Cntup AMI proper
II canned he might be useful t
fatten tho nativesof tho Clnliiba
Islands aad to improve ourexpor
, trade with that region. cha
recommend legislation upon tn
subject IN my first msssasa. ~
campaign cry will bc, "Dessicat
the poor working man; stuff hi
| into sausages."
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