Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-12-08
TWAIN IN FLANNELS
oongress Committee Laughs at Clemsns' Satiric Speech.
TALKS SERIOUSLY OF COPYRIGHT.

HumoFist Rather Amused Cspitel by
 Appearing In Airy Costume ef
 ssmmer-scores Publishers and
 Their HI Gotten Wealth.
 WASHINGTON. Dec. S.--Samuel L. Clemens Clark Twain) brought to 3 close with laughter day of argu- mentative strife over the terms of the copyright bill, now the subject of hear lngs before the senate and house com Ihittees on patents.
 MT. Clemens was attired in suit of white flannel. He followed brief statement by Rev. Edward Everett Hale, chaplain of the senate. MT. Clemens commented on the impossi- bility of understanding the legal phraseology of the copyright bill and said he allowed all credit to "the train ed legislators" who were wrestling withit.
 II am particularly interested in the portion of the measure which concerns my trade," he continued. T like thar extension from the present limit of the life of copyright from forty-two years to the life of the author and fifty years thereafter. I think that ought to satls- fy any reasonable author, because it will take care of his children. Let the grandchildren take care of themselves. It will satisfy me because it will ena. ble me to take care of my daughters. After that I don't care. have long been out of the struggle, independent of it and indifferent to it.
 Tt is not objectionable to me-" he continued, 'that all the trades and in dustries of the United States are in the bill and protected by it. I should like to have the oyster culture added and anything else that might need protec- ton. have no i'll feeling. think 1t a just and righteous measure and should like to see it passed"
 MT. Clemens argued that there was really no legislative ground for making any limitation to the life of a copy right.
 The expiration of copyright, he ex- plained, did not inure to the benefit of the public, but to the publisher "who lives forever and rears families in af. fiIence and enjoys from generation to generation these i'll gotten gains"
 Mir. Clemens added: "My copyrights produce to me great deal more mon ey than I can spend. However, if did not have them I could take care of myself. I know half dozen trades, and if those ran out I would invent a half dozen others. But for my daugh- ters I hope congress will extend to them the charity which they have failed to get from me-"
 Later Mir. Clemens paralyzed busi- ness in the house by appearing in the gallery in his shimmering white fan mel costume.
 So picturesque was the spectacle the famous author presented that business almost came to standstll, while the members gazed in wonder.
 Mir. Clemens apparently preferred to talk about clothes rather than copy rigbts. for he spent most of his time discussing what men should wear.
 q suppose every one is wondering why on this cold day am wearing what I am," he said modestly. refer ring to the flannel outfit. This is a uniform. 1t is the uniform of the American Association of Purity and Perfection, of which I am president, secretary and treasurer. and the only man in the United States eligible to membership.
 'T was seventy-one years old last Saturday. and when man reaches that age he has right to arrogate to himself as to costume.
 q dressed the Yankee at King Ar thurs court in the costume of twenty five years ago. when it was customary for man who wished to be we'll dress cd to wear plug hat Now, when a man wants to be dressed up he does not wear c plug hat. He leaves 1t at home in the tightly tied box in which 1t came from the hatter's.
 "I can go up and down the streets of New York--I never have, but know can do it-and never see plug hat on the best dressed people. If did see plug hat on fellow I would suspect him of something.
 There is no more delightful costume possible than the human skin. The most satisfactory costume I ever saw was worn by the natives of the Sand wich Islands. whom saw forty years ago. When they wanted to adorn themselves beyond what nature gave them they put on pair of spectacles.
 T prefer light clothing. colors like those worn by the ladies at the opera Whenever I go to the opera and sec the men sitting around with those beautifully gownei ladies they look to me no more cheering than a lot of