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grave convictions； able to give them the fullest and most forcible
expression。 He still might make them laugh； but he also made them think；
and he stirred them to a truer gospel of patriotism。 He did not preach a
patriotism that meant a boisterous cheering of the Stars and Stripes
right or wrong； but a patriotism that proposed to keep the Stars and
Stripes clean and worth shouting for。 In an article； perhaps it was a
speech； begun at this time he wrote：
We teach the boys to atrophy their independence。 We teach them to
take their patriotism at second…hand； to shout with the largest
crowd without examining into the right or wrong of the matter
exactly as boys under monarchies are taught and have always been
taught。 We teach them to regard as traitors； and hold in aversion
and contempt； such as do not shout with the crowd； & so here in our
democracy we are cheering a thing which of all things is most
foreign to it & out of placethe delivery of our political
conscience into somebody else's keeping。 This is patriotism on the
Russian plan。
Howells tells of discussing these vital matters with him in 〃an upper
room；〃 looking south over a quiet； open space o？back yards where；〃 he
says； 〃we fought our battles in behalf of the Filipinos and Boers； and he
carried on his campaign against the missionaries in China。〃
Howells at the time expressed an amused fear that Mark Twain's
countrymen； who in former years had expected him to be merely a humorist；
should now； in the light of his wider acceptance abroad； demand that he
be mainly serious。
But the American people were quite ready to accept him in any of his
phases； fully realizing that whatever his philosophy or doctrine it would
have somewhat of the humorous form； and whatever his humor； there would
somewhere be wisdom in it。 He had in reality changed little； for a
generation he had thought the sort of things which he now； with advanced
years and a different audience； felt warranted in uttering openly。 The
man who in '64 had written against corruption in San Francisco； who a few
years later had defended the emigrant Chinese against persecution； who at
the meetings of the Monday Evening Club had denounced hypocrisy in
politics； morals； and national issues； did not need to change to be able
to speak out against similar abuses now。 And a newer generation as
willing to herald Mark Twain as a sage as well as a humorist； and on
occasion to quite overlook the absence of the cap and bells。
CCXIII
MARK TWAINGENERAL SPOKESMAN
Clemens did not confine his speeches altogether to matters of reform。 At
a dinner given by the Nineteenth Century Club in November； 1900； he spoke
on the 〃Disappearance of Literature；〃 and at the close of the discussion
of that subject； referring to Milton and Scott； he said：
Professor Winchester also said something about there being no modern
epics like 〃Paradise Lost。〃 I guess he's right。 He talked as if he
was pretty familiar with that piece of literary work； and nobody
would suppose that he never had read it。 I don't believe any of you
have ever read 〃Paradise Lost；〃 and you don't want to。 That's
something that you just want to take on trust。 It's a classic； just
as Professor Winchester says； and it meets his definition of a
classicsomething that everybody wants to have read and nobody
wants to read。
Professor Trent also had a good deal to say about the disappearance
of literature。 He said that Scott would outlive all his critics。
I guess that's true。 That fact of the business is you've got to be
one of two ages to appreciate Scott。 When you're eighteen you can
read Ivanhoe； and you want to wait until you're ninety to read some
of the rest。 It takes a pretty well…regulated abstemious critic to
live ninety years。
But a few days later he was back again in the forefront of reform；
preaching at the Berkeley Lyceum against foreign occupation in China。
It was there that he declared himself a Boxer。
Why should not China be free from the foreigners； who are only
making trouble on her soil？ If they would only all go home what a
pleasant place China would be for the Chinese！ We do not allow
Chinamen to come here； and I say； in all seriousness； that it would
be a graceful thing to let China decide who shall go there。
China never wanted foreigners any more than foreigners wanted
Chinamen； and on this question I am with the Boxers every time。 The
Boxer is a patriot。 He loves his country better than he does the
countries of other people。 I wish him success。 We drive the
Chinaman out of our country； the Boxer believes in driving us out of
his country。 I am a Boxer； too； on those terms。
Introducing Winston Churchill； of England； at a dinner some weeks later；
he explained how generous England and America had been in not requiring
fancy rates for 〃extinguished missionaries〃 in China as Germany had done。
Germany had required territory and cash； he said； in payment for her
missionaries； while the United States and England had been willing to
settle for producefirecrackers and tea。
The Churchill introduction would seem to have been his last speech for
the year 1900； and he expected it； with one exception； to be the last for
a long time。 He realized that he was tired and that the strain upon him
made any other sort of work out of the question。 Writing to MacAlister
at the end of the year； he said； 〃I seem to have made many speeches； but
it is not so。 It is not more than ten； I think。〃 Still； a respectable
number in the space of two months； considering that each was carefully
written and committed to memory； and all amid crushing social pressure。
Again to MacAlister：
I declined 7 banquets yesterday （which is double the daily average）
& answered 29 letters。 I have slaved at my mail every day since we
arrived in mid…October； but Jean is learning to typewrite &
presently I'll dictate & thereby save some scraps of time。
He added that after January 4th he did not intend to speak again for a
yearthat he would not speak then only that the matter concerned the
reform of city government。
The occasion of January 4； 1901； was a rather important one。 It was a
meeting of the City Club； then engaged in the crusade for municipal
reform。 Wheeler H。 Peckham presided； and Bishop Potter made the opening
address。 It all seems like ancient history now； and perhaps is not very
vital any more； but the movement was making a great stir then； and Mark
Twain's declaration that he believed forty…nine men out of fifty were
honest； and that the forty…nine only needed to organize to disqualify the
fiftieth man （always organized for crime）； was quoted as a sort of slogan
for reform。
Clemens was not permitted to keep his resolution that he wouldn't speak
again that year。 He had become a sort of general spokesman on public
matters； and demands were made upon him which could not be denied。 He
declined a Yale alumni dinner； but he could not refuse to