Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-11-10
MARK TWAIN'S GRAFTON.

HARTFORD. Conn, Nov. 3.-During
the Republican jollifcation meeting last
evening in the Opera House, which was
filled to overhowing, Mark Twain was
called upon for a speech, and delivered
the Democratic party. Coming as it did
Immediately after an address by two
clergymen, and beginning in rather
lugubrious way, the assemblage did not
know at first how to receive it. AS the
speaker went on, however, the queer
political hit began to be appreciated. AL
most every sentence was greeted with
roars oflaughter Following is the address:
There are occasion which are so solemn,
so weighted with the deep concerns of
life, that then even the licensed jester
must lay aside the cap and bells and re-
member that he is man and mortal; that
even his light, butterfly career of folly
has its serious seasons, and he cannot flee
them or ignore them. Such a time, my
friends, is this for we are in the near
presence of one who is a passenger from
this life, one whom we have known long
and well, but shall know no more forever.
About the couch of him who lies striken
are gathered those who hold him dear,
and who await the oncoming of great
sorrow. His breathing is faint, and
grows fainter: his voice is become a
whisper; his pulses scarcely record the
languishing ebb and flow of the wasted
current of his life; his lips are pallid, and
the froth of dissolution gathers upon
them; his face is drawn; his cheeks are
sunken; the roses are gone from them
and ashes are in there place; his form is
still; his feet are ice; his eyes are vacant;
beaded sweat is on his brow; he picks at
the coveret with unconscious fingers; he
"babbles o'green felds;" deaths rattle is
in his throat; his time is at hand. Every
breeze that comes to us out OF the dis
tances, near and far, and from every seq
ment of the wide horizon, IS heavy with
voice mourning for sorrow accomplished,
and the burden of the mourning is, "The
aged and striken Democratic party is dy.
! ing;" and the burden of the lament will
be, "The mighty is fallen; the Democrat
ic party is dead" And who and what is
he that is dying and will presently be
dead? A foot-sore political wanderer, a
hoary political tramp, an itinerant poor
actor familiar with many disguises. A
butcher of many parts In the North he
played "Protection'' and "Hard Money"
In the West he played Protection, . and
"Soft Money" changing disguises and
parts according to the exigencies of the
occasion. In the South he played "1ar-
iff for Revenue; in the North and the
West he played "The Apostle of Free
DOM In the South he played ''The
Assassin of Freedom and. d.mouthed the
sacred shibboleths of liberty with cruel
and bloody lips. His latest and final ap
pearance upon the Nations stage was in
the new piece entitled Forgery, a
Farce" in which he was assisted by the
whole strength of the company. 1t was
a poor piece It was indifferently played;
SO it failed, and he was hissed 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. 0 friends
this is not time for jests and levity, but
a time for bended forms and uncovered
heads, for we stand in the near presence
of majestic death, a momentous and mem
orable death, a grisly and awful death.
For it is death from which there is no
resurrection. Heaven bless us, one and
all! Heaven temper the blow to the
afflicted family. Heaven grant them a
change Of heart and better life.