The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-04-27
MARK TWAIN ON RELIGION.

1t has developed that the late sam
uel l.. Clemens turned once from the
path of humor to write book OF seri-
Gus philosophical thought on the sub
ject of the machine-like character of
mortal mind, particularly with regard
to religious beliefs. The title is What
is Man," Only $50 copies were print
ed and these were distributed among
the great humorists personal friends.
The book was written twelve years
ago and published in 1906 In prefa-
tory note the author says the studies
for the papers were begun twenty-five
or more years previously and that he
had examined the papers once or twice
year since and had found them sat
isfactory. He was satisfied that they
spoke the truth. In the same note he
goes on TO say:
Every thought in them has been
thought land accepted as unassailable
TRUTH by millions upon millions of
men-and concealed, kept private.
Why did they not speak out? Because
they dreaded land could not bear} the
idisapproyal of the people around them.
Why have | not published? The same
reason has restrained me, think i
| can find no other
/ Tire book sets forth in the form of
a dialogue between young man and
and old man its authors notions. The
old man is represented at saying:
/ That list OF sects is not a record of
4 studies, searchings, seekings after
light; it mainly and (sarcasticallyJ in
! dicates what association can do. II
I you know a mans nationality you can
come within split hair Of guessing
the complexion of his religion-Eng
lish, Protestant; American, ditto:
Spanish, Frenchman, Irishman, Italian,
South American. Austrian, Roman
Catholic; Russian, Greek Catholic;
Turk, Mohammedan, and so on.
And when you know the mans re-
ligious complexion you know what
sort Of religious books he reads when
he wants some more light and what
sort of books he avoids. lest by acct
dent he get more light than be wants
In America If you know which party
collar a voter wears you know what
his associations are and how he came
By Ills politics and which breed OF
newspapers he reads TO get light and
which breed he diligently avoids, and
which breed Of mass meetings he at,
tends in order to broaden his political
knowledge, and which breed Of mass
meetings he does not attend except to
refute It's doctrines with brickbats
We are ALWAYS hearing OF people
who are around seeking after truth
! have never seen a permanent speei
men. think he has never lived But
j have seen several entirely sincere
people VINO thought Trey were perma
Enent seekers after truth. Thew sought
diligently, persistently carefully. cau
tiously. profoundly with perfect hon
egty and nicely adjusted iudgTnent-
until they believed that without doubt
or question they rad found the truth
That WAS The end Of the search. The
man spent the rest Of his life hnntine
~ shingles wherewith to protect iii
truth from the weather.
II he wag seeking after politica
truth he found IT IN one or another q
the hundred political gospels wfic1
govern men - the earth If he wa,
seeking after the only true religion b,
. found 1t In one or another Of the three
!. thousand that are in t-e market.
In any case, When he found The trutl
he Foueht no further. but from tha
day forth. With tis soldering iron II
/ one tand and HE blHdgeon IN tbe 9th
d er he tinkered its leaks and reascae
,e with directors.
lie There have been innuInerable ten
lie 1orary seekers after truth-haye 70
NJ ever heard of permanent oneq !
~ me very nature of man such a perso
- impossible. However. 10 dron bac
ne 70 the text-training. All training
pt one form or another Of outside inf
ed ence' ard association is the large,
to mart OF it. a man is 5ever anytbir
lse put what his outside Influences he,
made him They train him downwa,
49," hiyef n's--a--d ---t-,t ~,