The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-12-01
Brilliant Gathering in New
York Pays Tribute to Ameri-
can HumOrist.
VIRTUES ARE EXT0LLED
BY ELOQUENT SPEAKERS
Champ Clark Recalls When
Clemens Took Role of
Lobbyist.

NEW YORK. Nov. 3o.-The intellect
the power and the wealth of the land
gathered at Carnegie hall tonight to pay
tribute TO the memory OF Mark Twain.
William Dean Howells presided Joseph
g. Cannon. speaker OF the house Of repre-
sentatives, and Champ Clark speaker
that may be. spoke from the same plat
form. Dr: Henry Van Dyke OF Princeton,
Henry Watterson, George W. Gable,
Booth Harrington. j. PieEpont Morgan,
john Luther Long and many others were
among those Invited. The meeting was
under the auspices OF the Academy or
Arts and Letters.
Mr.. Howells spoke briefly. II believe
can safely promise. he saf. that the
commeT'oration viii not be formal or
be formaliZed than flame. His vivid ge
Mus ranged at will through all the ways
OF life- Now that II Is freed to the path
less amplitude OF the skies. IL could hard
u offer the pattern OF conventional
observa ton
"unclc" Joe Cannon was warmly greet
ed III read my remarks ne said. 1T Is
the first time I've ever read manu-
script"
Congressman Champ Clark OF Missou-
ri. who is prominently mentioned as the
house OF representatives. spoke on Mark
Twain as a Lobbyist" III is in keeping
with the eternal fitness of things" ne
said. that z Mlssourian should partici-
Nissourian that ever lived. With me, il
Is labor OF love. | consider IT my good
fortune To have known this illustrious and
ioyable man personally, and my bad for
tune not TO have known him for a long
period. He was born within a few miles
OF my congressional district, at the con-
iluence Of the three forks OF Salt river.
stream OF evil omen 10 candidates, upon
whose briny bosom many OF them sail
Into the gulf Of oblivion.
Twain as Lobbyist
"The way 1 came 10 know Mark Twain
personally Is that three or four years ago
he visited Washington as Il lobbyist. Let
not the prudlsh and sQueaInish shudder
at the term. for Mark Twain was not
only lobbyist, but very prince OF lob
byists. He did honor. not only TO the
lobbyist, but also 70 those With whom he
iobbied.
"IIe created profound sensation. as
he no doubt intended to do; sensation
which. so far as he was concerned. was
strictly utilltarian In character and cum
ningy planned for effect upon hard head
ed, matter of-fact solons.
The subject matter OF mis- lobbying
was improvement IN the copyright laws.
which were sadly in need OF improvement.
Speaker Cannon gra cefuliy and gracious
" turned over one OF his rooms to Mark
Twain. and in il he held his court, some
what II must De confessed. TO the de-
moralization OF business in congress, for
so long as he remained in the capital II
was almost impossible To maintain quo
rum in the house, so eager were mem
bcrS 10 look into his face, shake his hand.
form his acquaintance and listen 10 his
copYerssuo
II think myself happy TO have been
able 10 aid him in his self-imposed task
OF aiding the American writer's. They
have In their kindness done me honor
oyerTnuch. The men 10 whom your graft
tude is primarily and in largest part due
are the members OF The committee on
patents headed, on the Republican side
by Mr.. Currier OF New Hampshire and
on the Democratic side BY William SulzcE
OF New York"
Tribute in Verse
Rev. DIR. Henry Van Dyke read the fol-
lowing original poem. entitled MARX
Twain:
We know you well, dear Yorick OF the
West.
The very soul Of large and friendly jest
That loved and Knocked the broad gro
tesquc OF things.
In this new world where all the folks arc
kings.
Your breezy humor cleared the air with
or shams that haunt the democratic
court:
For even where tho sovereign people ruic
\ human monarch needs a royal fool,
Your native drawl lent flavor TO your
Wit.
Your arrows fingered. but they always
hit:
Homeric mirtb around this circle ran,
But left no wound upon the heart of
man.
We knew you, kind in trouble. brave in
pain,
We saw your honor kept withou, a stain:
We read this lesson OF our Ierick's !
True wisdom comes with laughter and
with tears