Weekly graphic. [volume] (Kirksville, Adair Co., Missouri) 1880-1949, 1880-11-20
MARK TWAIN.
His Funeral Grafton on the Democrat
lc Party.

A special dispatch from Hartford,
Conn.,, dated November Sd says:
During the republican jolifcation
meeting last evening in the Opera
House, which was filed to OVERLOOKING
Mark Twain was called upon for q
speech, and delivered what he termed
funeral grafton over the democratic
party. Coming as it did, after an ad-
dress by two clergymen, and begin
ming in lugubrious way, the assem-
blage did not know how to receive it. As
the speaker went on, however, the queer
political hit began to be appreciated.
Almost every sentence was greeted
with roars of laughter. Following is
tho address:
There are occasions which are so
solemn, so weighted wit. the deep con-
Germs Of life that then even the licensed
jester must lay aside his cap and bells
and remember he is a man and mortal:
that even his light butterfly career of
Jolly has its serious seasons, and he can
not flee them or ignore them. Such a
time my friends is this, for We are in
the near presence of one who Is a pass
enger from this life, one whom We have
known long and well, but shall know no
more forever. About the couch of
him who lies stricken are gathered
those who hold him dear, and who
wait the oncoming of great sorrow.
His breathing is faint and grows fainter:
his voice is becoming a whisper; his
pulse scarcely records the languis hing
ebb and flow of the wasted current of
his life; his lips are paliid and the froth
of dissolution gathers on them; his
face Is drawn; his cheeks are sunken:
the roses are gone from them and ashes
are in their places; his form is still: his
feet are ice; his eyes are vacant: bead
ed sweat is on his brow; he picks at the
coverlet with unconscious fingers: he
"babbles o green fields" deaths rattle
Is in his throat; his time is at hand.
Every breeze that comes to us out of the
distances, near and far, and from every
segment of the wide horizon is heavy
with voice mourning for sorrow ac-
complished, and the burden of the
mourning is, The aged and stricken
democratic party is dying" and the
burden of the lament will be, "The
mighty is fallen; the democratic party
is dead And who and what is he
that is dying and will presently lie
dead?
A footsore political wanderer. a hoary
political tramp, an itinerant poor actor
familiar with many DISCUSSES, butcher
Of many parts. In the north he played
protection, and Hard Money In the
west he played Protection" Free
Trade, Hard Money" and Soft Mon
ey,. changing DISCUSSES and parts &C.
cording to the exigencies of the occas-
ion. In the south he played Tariff for
Revenue" In the north and west he
played The Apostle of Freedom In
the south he played the Assassin ci
Freedom" and mouthed the sacred
Shibboleths Of liberty with cruel and
bloody lips. His latest and final APP
pearance upon the nations stage, was
in the pieces entitled Forgery and
farce" in which he was assisted by the
whole strength of the company. II was
a poor piece. Itwas indiferently play
ed so it failed, and he was Kissed and
abused by the audience. But he lies
low now and blame and praise are to
him alike. The charitable will spare
the one, the judicious will reserve the
other. Oh, friends this is not time
for jest and leyity, but time for bend
ed forms, and uncovered heads, for We
stand in the near presence of majestic
death; mOmentous and memorable
death ; a grisly and awful death. For
it is death from which there is no res
direction. Heaven bless US one and all
Heaven temper the blow to the afflicted
family Heaven grant them a change
oflite and better life.