The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1899-07-20
MARK TNAIN'S GRAFTON
THE DAY WE CELEBRATE" Us
REPLIED TO


LONDON. July S.-Mark Twain's
speech at the Independence Day BAN
quot in London was the event Of the
evening. The veteran humorist was in
capital form. In responding to the
toast THE Day We Celebrate he
said:
/ noticed i'm Ambassador Choate's
speech that he said: you may be Am
orleans or Englishmen, but you cannot
be both at the same time" You re-
sponded by applause.
Consider the effect of a short resi-
dence here. l find that the Ambassador
rises first to speak to a toast followed
by Senator, and l come third. What
a subtle tribute that to the monarchial
influence Of the country, when you
place rank above responsibility
| was born modest, and If | had not
been, things like this would force 1t
upon me. l understand it quite well.
| am here to see that between them
they do justice to the day we celebrate,
and in case they do not, | must do it
myself.
But | notice they considered this day
merely from one side-its sentimental,
patriotic, poetic side. But it has an
other side. 1t has a commercial, a bust
ness side, that needs reforming. 1t has
a historical side.
/ do not say IAN" historical side, be-
guage. | do not see why our cousins
should continue to say IAN" hospital,
IAN" historical fact, IAN horse. 1t
seems to me the congress of women now
in session should look to it. I think
IAN" is having little too much to do
with it. 1t comes of habit, which ac-
counts for many things.
Yesterday for example | was at a lun-
cheon party. At the end of the party
great dgnitary of the English es1ab
lished church went away half an hour
before anybody else and carried off my
hat. Now, that was an innocent act
on his part. He went out first, and, of
course, had the choice of hats. AS Il
rule, l try to get out first myself.
But 1 hold that it was an innocent,
unconscious act. due, perhaps, to here
dity. He was thinking about ecclesias
teal matters, and when a man is in
that condition of mind he will take
anybody's hat.
The result was that the whole after
noon l was under the influence of his
clerical hat and could not tell lie. OF
course, he was hard at it.
1t is a compliment to both to us. His
hat fitted me exactly; my hat fitted
him exactly So l judge l was born to
rise to high dignity in the church some
how or other, but do not know what
he was born for.
of habit, and it is perceptible here when
they say IAN" hospital, IAN European,
IAN" historical
The business aspect of the Fourth of
July is not perfect as it stands. See
what it costs us every year, with loss
of life, the gripping of thousands, with
it's fireworks and the burning down of
property. 1t is not only sacred to patri-
Otism and universal freedom, but to the
surgeon, the undertaken and the insur-
ance officers And they are working it
for all it is worth.
| am pleased to see that we have
cessation of war for the time. This
coming from me- soldier, you will APP
preciate. | was a soldier in the South
ern war for two weeks, and when gen
tlemen get up to speak of the great
deeds our army and navy have recently
done, why, it goes all through me and
fires up the old war spirit
/ had in my first engagement three
horses shot under me. The next ones
went over my head the next hit me in
the back. Then | retired to meet an
engagement
| thank YOU gentlemen, for making
even a slight reference to the war pro-
fession in which l distinguished my
self, short as was my career.