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Never knew that. What led Twain to think about him that way?
[edited]
Can't say for sure why Twain felt the way he did, but there is ample evidence that
(A) He did meet Roosevelt (last item entered)
and
(B) He did think Roosevelt daft.
Tawain was always against the Spanish American War and claims to have howled in amusement when he learned that The United States had purchased The Philippines for 20M$. A country in revolution, unwanted by its current rulers, and one who promised immediate war with the U.S. has been PAID FOR!?
The Philippine - American war is not even taught as a separate war from the Spanish American War. In fact, it is hardly addressed at all in schools, probably because it is hard to explain given Roosevelt's support in the press. Even today.
Mark Twain Quotes
We are insane, each in our own way, and with insanity goes irresponsibility. Theodore the man is sane; in fairness we ought to keep in mind that Theodore, as statesman and politician, is insane and irresponsible.
- Letter to J. H. Twichell, 2/16/1905
Mr. Roosevelt is the Tom Sawyer of the political world of the twentieth century; always showing off; always hunting for a chance to show off; in his frenzied imagination the Great Republic is a vast Barnum circus with him for a clown and the whole world for audience; he would go to Halifax for half a chance to show off and he would go to hell for a whole one.
- Mark Twain in Eruption
(When speaking of Taft)
………In a word, he possesses every qualification the other one [Theodore Roosevelt] was destitute of.
- letter dated March 2, 1909; published in The New York Times, June 5, 1912, p. 10.
March 6, 1908.
Astronomers assure us that the attraction of gravitation on the surface of the sun is twenty-eight times as powerful as is the force at the earth's surface, and that the object which weights 217 pounds elsewhere would weight 6,000 pounds there.
For seven years this country has lain smothering under a burden like that, the incubus representing, in the person of President Roosevelt, the difference between 217 pounds and 6,000. Thanks be we got rid of this disastrous burden day before yesterday, at last. Forever? Probably not. Probably for only a brief breathing spell, wherein, under Mr. Taft, we may hope to get back some of our health - four years. We may expect to have Mr. Roosevelt sitting on us again, with his twenty-eight times the weight of any other Presidential burden that a hostile Providence could impose upon us for our sins.
Our people have adored this showy charlatan as perhaps no impostor of his brood has been adored since the Golden Calf, so it is to be expected that the Nation will want him back again after he is done hunting other wild animals heroically in Africa, with the safeguard and advertising equipment of a park of artillery and a brass band.
The New York Times, November 28, 1905 Mark Twain the President's Guest
WASHINGTON, Nov. 27. - Samuel L. Clemens (Mark Twain) was guest of President and Mrs. Roosevelt at luncheon today. Invited to meet Mr. Clemens were Secretary Bonaparte, Attorney General Moody, and John Temple Graves. The call of Mr. Clemens upon the President was purely social.
Last edited by Listener2307; 04-14-2013 at 07:03 PM..
[edited]
Can't say for sure why Twain felt the way he did, but there is ample evidence that
(A) He did meet Roosevelt (last item entered)
and
(B) He did think Roosevelt daft.
Tawain was always against the Spanish American War and claims to have howled in amusement when he learned that The United States had purchased The Philippines for 20M$. A country in revolution, unwanted by its current rulers, and one who promised immediate war with the U.S. has been PAID FOR!?
The Philippine - American war is not even taught as a separate war from the Spanish American War. In fact, it is hardly addressed at all in schools, probably because it is hard to explain given Roosevelt's support in the press. Even today.
Mark Twain Quotes
We are insane, each in our own way, and with insanity goes irresponsibility. Theodore the man is sane; in fairness we ought to keep in mind that Theodore, as statesman and politician, is insane and irresponsible.
- Letter to J. H. Twichell, 2/16/1905
Mr. Roosevelt is the Tom Sawyer of the political world of the twentieth century; always showing off; always hunting for a chance to show off; in his frenzied imagination the Great Republic is a vast Barnum circus with him for a clown and the whole world for audience; he would go to Halifax for half a chance to show off and he would go to hell for a whole one.
- Mark Twain in Eruption
(When speaking of Taft)
………In a word, he possesses every qualification the other one [Theodore Roosevelt] was destitute of.
- letter dated March 2, 1909; published in The New York Times, June 5, 1912, p. 10.
March 6, 1908.
Astronomers assure us that the attraction of gravitation on the surface of the sun is twenty-eight times as powerful as is the force at the earth's surface, and that the object which weights 217 pounds elsewhere would weight 6,000 pounds there.
For seven years this country has lain smothering under a burden like that, the incubus representing, in the person of President Roosevelt, the difference between 217 pounds and 6,000. Thanks be we got rid of this disastrous burden day before yesterday, at last. Forever? Probably not. Probably for only a brief breathing spell, wherein, under Mr. Taft, we may hope to get back some of our health - four years. We may expect to have Mr. Roosevelt sitting on us again, with his twenty-eight times the weight of any other Presidential burden that a hostile Providence could impose upon us for our sins.
Our people have adored this showy charlatan as perhaps no impostor of his brood has been adored since the Golden Calf, so it is to be expected that the Nation will want him back again after he is done hunting other wild animals heroically in Africa, with the safeguard and advertising equipment of a park of artillery and a brass band.
The New York Times, November 28, 1905 Mark Twain the President's Guest
WASHINGTON, Nov. 27. - Samuel L. Clemens (Mark Twain) was guest of President and Mrs. Roosevelt at luncheon today. Invited to meet Mr. Clemens were Secretary Bonaparte, Attorney General Moody, and John Temple Graves. The call of Mr. Clemens upon the President was purely social.
Very interesting. Is there any research/information out there to suggest that Teddy felt similarly toward Twain?
Very interesting. Is there any research/information out there to suggest that Teddy felt similarly toward Twain?
I never read anything. But it would be hard to believe that TR was a real fan of Mark Twain, given the language that Twain used.
The "insane" quote above was in a private letter in Feb, 1905. The invitation to the White House was in November of that year. Probably, TR was not aware of the private comments that Twain had already made.
But maybe he was. Twain notes that TR would do whatever he could to promote himself, and being seen with Mark Twain was kind of a big deal. In 1901 he entertained the very popular Booker T Washington and I suspect TR's interest was mostly in TR, not Mr Washington.
I never read anything. But it would be hard to believe that TR was a real fan of Mark Twain, given the language that Twain used.
The "insane" quote above was in a private letter in Feb, 1905. The invitation to the White House was in November of that year. Probably, TR was not aware of the private comments that Twain had already made.
But maybe he was. Twain notes that TR would do whatever he could to promote himself, and being seen with Mark Twain was kind of a big deal. In 1901 he entertained the very popular Booker T Washington and I suspect TR's interest was mostly in TR, not Mr Washington.
Indeed, it seemed as though Teddy relished any attention he could get.
Indeed, it seemed as though Teddy relished any attention he could get.
No matter what your take on Teddy, he was a very interesting guy. Sometimes I find myself thinking that what the press does to history is a travesty, the way they pick which side they are to represent. And as much as I would like to believe this press bias is something new, I know that it is not.
W R Hurst's newspapers did everything they could to promote war with Spain. Teddy hopped aboard the wave of populist talk and road it into history. But he grew up as sort of a "Dandy", who was wealthy, well dressed and sort of effete, I believe. He wanted to change that image and become a rougher, man's man, sort of person. In that respect he was a complete success.
And that is a lesson we could all learn - that is is possible to become something other than what we are now.
He wanted to change that image and become a rougher, man's man, sort of person. In that respect he was a complete success.
And that is a lesson we could all learn - that is is possible to become something other than what we are now.
Great points. Teddy seemed to pride himself on his "tough as nails" persona and certainly didn't apologize for it.
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