Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-11-17
Mark Twain on the Victory.

The meeting of the Middlesex Club of
Boston on Saturday was devoted to con-
gratulatory speeches on the result of the
presidential election. Mark Twain was
present, and made the following character
istic speech
Gentlemen IL thank you very kindly. never
lie In public. ! was Just going TO accuse the
chairman OF calling me by my private name OF
Clemens. never use that In public at all al
ways speak or act In public under the nom de
plume Then, get In the town jail or any
where else, don't mind 1t; my private name |
keep pure and perfect The other Is little rusty
occasionally. ! did not know, Mr. Chairman.
that there WAS any other Connecticut gentleman
here but, as there seems to be, won't take 1t en-
tirely upon myself to represent that state. | do
not think am the best man to do that. But
did not suppose appeared as the only one who
The president-You are, sir Mark Twain-Am
IL Exactly. thought you mentioned somebody
else. ! was going to say was the only person
here who wears the Connecticut sign and symbol
OF intellect and moral advancement upon his
shoulders-a wooden nutmeg; and that | would
take 1t upon myself to represent that state Per-
haps, as you are ~ far away, you haven't heard
that we carried that state for the Republicans,
with 1000 or 5000 or 1000 majority or some
where along there Il am not sufficiently ac-
qnainted with politics TO keep up In fgures) and
three congressman out OF four, aud the governor
and mayor, II we elected mayor; and, what was
the biggest triumph, we elected seven sheriffs out
Of eight, and that Is as it should be, because the
criminals and officers ought to be OF opposite
parties. Yes, Mr.. Chairman, In spite OF all my
political speeches and Of our friends In behalf Of
the Republican party, | think Connecticut has
done very well-has done very well. | did not
obstruct the cause half as much as might have
supposed might In new career, politics being
out OF my line. But II was a great time The
atmosphere was thick with storm and tempest,
and there was going to be break, and every
body thought thuuderbolt would be launched
out OF the political sky. | judged 1t would hit
somebody, and believed that somebody would be
the Democratic party, and that it would hit them
faithfully. ! did not believe we had much TO fear
on the Republican side, because believed we had
good and trustworthy lightning rod In James
A. Garfield We are not through vet. We have
only secured part of triumphs. We have
been sorrowfully conspicuous in times past. and
intend TO send new representative TO the United
States senate, because Mr.. Eaton has been
father an unht man-not TO put 1t too strongly.
In times past we have been represented In that
senate BY a man who has made himself immortal
as-well, won't call him hard names-W william
II. Barnnm--but, with all his rascality, and that
Is q mild term, he failed-he failed, and has got
to be conspicuous TO the end OF his life as the
man who has simply made Jack Sheppard re-
spectacle. He failed, and now a legislature COM
posed OF majority OF Republicans-a small ma
lorlty, ninety-four | think 1t is--will send a
United States senator 10 this coming session and
we all believe that man will be that good soldier,
and wise man and pure man, that able man and
statesman, General Joe Hawley, unquestionably
the ablest and most eminent man In Connecticu.
except me. But am through by necessity, be-
cause cannot recollect the things was going TO
say since have been sitting here. willthink OF
them tomorrow, when they will be too late, and
think OF much better things too That Is the ex-
perience OF every man. But TO return TO the late
William ii, Barnum. As do not make a speech
and never write poetry, thought would do both
this time, and have written poem for this oc.
easion, Well | think had better not say that,
because, II II gets into print, 1t might be found
had deiiecled little from the truth But have
paraphrased u poem. IL isn't exactly parody,
because use all the language that Leigh Hunt
used In his poem originally, " Abou Ben Adhem"
have simply just altered few words 10 III the
present time and circumstance, and Mr. Leigh
Hunt Is dead and won't mind H. 1t is entitled
AsoU BILL BARsuH.
Abou Bill BArnum--snay hts tribe decteassl-
Awoke one night from deep dream OF peace
And within the mO0n light In his room,
Making Il Iich and like a lily In bloom,
An angel writing IN book Of gold
Exceeding cheek had made Bill BaTnum bold,
And 10 the presence ~ the room he said
What wfitest thOu Y lhe vision raised IT, head,
And with look made all OF sNeet accord
Answeredi THE names OF those Sho serve the LofdH
And Il mini one 2" said Abon may, not so,"
Replied the angel. Ahou spoke more low,
blii cheerly stllli and said " pray thee. then,
W rite one who his fellow -lnen."
ihe angel wrote and vanished. fhe next night
II came again, with great wakening light,
And showed the nAmes whom uust-by man and uod-had
And. ioi-Bil BArnuin hsd got leftr'