The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-12-01
TRIBUTE TO
MARK TWAIN


kNonNAnuru from rage Onr-l
sincere, and you could not be sincere
n you ran to eulogy. But we don't
object here to any mans affection. we
like to be liked as well as ever. AMI
liable thing about me. ] shouldn't mind
his telling IL. provided always he didn't
blink at the pallisting circumstance,
the mitigating motives. the selfish con-
sideratiOns that always accompany
every noble action.
+ shouldn't like to be made out a
miracle Of humor. either. and left
STUN bling block for any man who wa
intending to be moderately amusing
and instructive hereafter. At the same
time ! don't suppose a cOmmemoratiOn
is exactly the occasion for dwelling on
a mans shortcomings in his life or his
literature.
object OF Meeting.
1T seems to me that we are met to-
night not so much to commemorate
great man as one VINO still lives In US
as contemporary. Others hereafter
may prove him the greatest humorist
the kindest and wisest moralist who
ever lived We who were Of his &C
quaintance can best offer in our col
lective "reminiscences composite like
ness Of him which viii keep him real
and actual.
Joseph Choate recalled that Darwin
used to say ne kept two remedies Tor
sleeplessness at the head OF his bed
the Bible and "InnOcents Abroad
And Darwin said he did not know
which he read the more" continued Mr..
Choate But the story that earned
undying fame FOR the author was the
Jumping Frog story. Not even Lin
coins two-minute speech at Gettysburg
has been read so much or committed to
memory so often as that remarkable
story.
Uncle Joe Cannon was warmly greet
ed. III read my remarks" he said.
1T is the first time I've ever read a
manuscript to an audience and con
graduate you upon the fact that Il
won't be long"
Twain personally and he described how
Clemens came TO Washington in the
interest Of the copyright law
TvvaIz's Letter TO Cannon.
Finally" said Uncle Joe, he tried
to persuade me TO allow him TO lobby
wrote me a letter and brought 70 TO
me i'm the speakers room"
As read by Mr. Cannon. the letter
Dear Uncle Joe: Please get me the
thanks OF Congress. not next week, but
right away. It il very necessary. DO
accomplish this at once, by persuasion
II you can. by violence IL you must.
for it is = bsolutely necessary that I
get on the floor for two or three hours
and talk TO the congressman. man by
man. 1 have arguments with me. Also
a barrel with liquid i'm II. l have
] stayed away from Congress and left
Il alone for seventy-one years. and I
am entitled TO It's thanks Congress
knows this well and 10 never has pub
IicIy acknowledged it's appreciation.
Send me a reply at once with an order
on the sergeant at arms
With love and benedictlon.
MARK TWAIN
Mr.. Cannon added with a smile, that
| he sent his messenger to summon the
congressman to the speakers room. and
/ Il helped Mark Twain to lobby"
In less than five minutes" he added,
when the congressman knew who
wanted 10 see them there was not a
Z ur1nrur1 left in tho House.
DR.. Van Dykes Poem.
DR.. Henry van Dyke read the fol-
| lowing original poem. entitled Mark
4 Twain"
We knew you well, dear Yoriok Of the
/ west,
The very soul Of large and friendly
| That loved and Knocked the broad gro
tesque Of things.
In this new world. where all the folks
are kings.
Your breezy humor cleared the air with
or shams that haunt the democratic
For even where the sovereign people
A human monarch needs royal fool.
Your native drawl lent flavor to your
Your arrows fingered. but they always
Homeric mirth around this circle ran.
But left no wound upon the heart OF
man.
we knew you. kind in trouble. brave
We saw your honor kept without a
stain.
We read this lesson Of our YOrick's
years.
True wisdom comes with laughter and
with tears