The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1882-04-19
Mr.. MARI Twain on Copyright.

Mr.. Samuel L. Clemens, better known as
Mark Twain" who is on 4 visit to Canada,
has been entertained at Montreal at a banquet
at which number Of distinguished represent
tatives Of politics, literature, and art in the
dominion were present. In response to the
toast Of his health, Mr.. Clemens said that he
| had como TO Canada TO place himself under the
protection of the Canadian law and to secure
| a copyright He had complied with the
requirements of the law, which were, how
ever, rather cumbersome, and he hoped and
| believed that day would come when, in the
eye Of the law literary property would be
as sacred as whiskey, or any other of the
necessaries of life. In this age of ours if you
stole another mans label to advertise your
own brand Of whiskey with you would be
heavily fined and otherwise punished. If YOU
| stole the whiskey without the trademark Won
would have to go to Jail but if you could
prove the whiskey was literature you could
| steal them both and the law would not say a
word. 1t grieved him TO think how far more
profound and reverend respect the law have
| for literature if body could only get DRINK
on it. Referring to the sight he had witnessed
| in Canada, Mr.. Clemens remarked that he had
seen the Plains Of Abraham and the spot
where the lamented Wolfe stood when he
made the memorable remark that he would
rather be the author of Gray's Eiegy" than
Quebec. But why did he say SO rash thing
II was because he supposed there was going
to be an international copyright. "Where so
many of the guests are French" continued
Mr.. Clemens, "the propricty will be recog-
nized OF my making portion Of my speech in
that beautiful language, in order that | may
be understood. speak French with timidity
and not fiowingly, except when excited.
When using that language have often noticed
that have hardly ever been mistaken for
Frenchman. had hoped that mere French
construction, with English words, would
answer; but this is not the case tried it at
gentleman's house in Quebec, and it would
not work. The maid-servant asked, What
would Monsieur | said, Monsieur So-and-
SO, is he with himselfP She did not under
stand. / said, rs it that he is still not
returned from his house of merchandise -
She did not understand that either. said,
He will desolate himself when he learns that
his friend American was arrived here, and he
not with himself 10 shake him at the hand
She did not even understand that | don't
know why, but she didn't, and she lost her
temper besides. Somebody in the rear called
oct, 'Qui est done la 2 or words to that effect.
She said 'C'est un fou, and shut the door on
me. Perhaps she was right, but how did she
ever ind that out, fo- she had never seen me
before till that moment. But as / have
already intimated, l will close this oraticn
with few sentences in the French language
have not ornamented them. have not bur
deneG them with flowers of rhetoric, for to
my mind that literature is best and most
endearing which is characterized by noble
simplicity. J'ai lie beau bouton dor de mon
oncle, mais je mai pas celui du charpentier.
81 Eous ayez lie frontage du braue menuisier
c'est bon mails 81 vous ne l'ayez pas, celia ne
me desole pas. Prenez lie chapeau, de drap
noir de son beau frere. Maade, tout I'heure,
SAVIOR faire, quest ce que vous dites, pate dc
foie gras, revenons nos moutons. Pardon,
messieurs, pardonnez moi; essayant de parler
Ia belle langue d'Ollendorif strains NE more
tnan you can possibly imagine. But mean,
well, and I've done the best could y