turn　to　it　again；　and　to　read　it　as　a　〃simple　dramatic　report　of
  reality；〃　such　as　had　been　equaled　by　no　other　American　writer。
  It　was　in　this　volume　of　sketches　that　Mark　Twain　first　spoke　in　print
  concerning　copyright；　showing　the　absurd　injustice　of　discriminating
  against　literary　ownership　by　statute　of　limitation。　　He　did　this　in　the
  form　of　an　open　petition　to　Congress；　asking　that　all　property；　real　and
  personal；　should　be　put　on　the　copyright　basis；　its　period　of　ownership
  limited　to　a　〃beneficent　term　of　forty…two　years。〃　　Generally　this　was
  regarded　as　a　joke；　as　in　a　sense　it　was；　but　like　most　of　Mark　Twain's
  jokes　it　was　founded　on　reason　and　justice。
  The　approval　with　which　it　was　received　by　his　literary　associates　led
  him　to　still　further　flights。　　He　began　a　determined　crusade　for
  international　copyright　laws。　　It　was　a　transcendental　beginning；　but　it
  contained　the　germ　of　what；　in　the　course　of　time；　he　would　be　largely
  instrumental　in　bringing　to　a　ripe　and　magnificent　conclusion。　　In　this
  first　effort　he　framed　a　petition　to　enact　laws　by　which　the　United
  States　would　declare　itself　to　be　for　right　and　justice；　regardless　of
  other　nations；　and　become　a　good　example　to　the　world　by　refusing　to
  pirate　the　books　of　any　foreign　author。　　He　wrote　to　Howells；　urging　him
  to　get　Lowell；　Longfellow；　Holmes；　Whittier；　and　others　to　sign　this
  petition。
  I　will　then　put　a　gentlemanly　chap　under　wages；　and　send　him　personally
  to　every　author　of　distinction　in　the　country　and　corral　the　rest　of　the
  signatures。　　Then　I'll　have　the　whole　thing　lithographed　（about　one
  thousand　copies）；　and　move　upon　the　President　and　Congress　in　person；　but
  in　the　subordinate　capacity　of　the　party　who　is　merely　the　agent　of
  better　and　wiser　men；　or　men　whom　the　country　cannot　venture　to　laugh　at。
  I　will　ask　the　President　to　recommend　the　thing　in　his　message　（and　if　he
  should　ask　me　to　sit　down　and　frame　the　paragraph　for　him　I　should　blush；
  but　still　I　would　frame　it）。　　And　then　if　Europe　chooses　to　go　on
  stealing　from　us　we　would　say；　with　noble　enthusiasm；　〃American　lawmakers
  do　steal；　but　not　from　foreign　authorsnot　from　foreign　authors；〃。。。。
  If　we　only　had　some　God　in　the　country's　laws；　instead　of　being　in　such　a
  sweat　to　get　Him　into　the　Constitution；　it　would　be　better　all　around。
  The　petition　never　reached　Congress。　　Holmes　agreed　to　sign　it　with　a
  smile；　and　the　comment　that　governments　were　not　in　the　habit　of　setting
  themselves　up　as　high　moral　examples；　except　for　revenue。　　Longfellow
  also　pledged　himself；　as　did　a　few　others；　but　if　there　was　any　general
  concurrence　in　the　effort　there　is　no　memory　of　it　now。　　Clemens
  abandoned　the　original　idea；　but　remained　one　of　the　most　persistent　and
  influential　advocates　of　copyright　betterment；　and　lived　to　see　most　of
  his　dream　fulfilled。　＇For　the　petition　concerning　copyright　term　in　the
  United　States；　see　Sketches　New　and　Old。　　For　the　petition　concerning
  international　copyright　and　related　matters；　see　Appendix　N；　at　the　end
  of　last　volume。＇
  CIII
  〃ATLANTIC〃　DAYS
  It　was　about　this　period　that　Mark　Twain　began　to　exhibit　openly　his　more
  serious　side；　that　is　to　say　his　advocacy　of　public　reforms。　　His　paper
  on　〃Universal　Suffrage〃　had　sounded　a　first　note；　and　his　copyright
  petitions　were　of　the　same　spirit。　　In　later　years　he　used　to　say　that　he
  had　always　felt　it　was　his　mission　to　teach；　to　carry　the　banner　of　moral
  reconstruction；　and　here　at　forty　we　find　him　furnishing　evidences　of
  this　inclination。　　In　the　Atlantic　for　October；　1875；　there　was　published
  an　unsigned　three…page　article　entitled；　〃The　Curious　Republic　of
  Gondour。〃　　In　this　article　was　developed　the　idea　that　the　voting
  privilege　should　be　estimated　not　by　the　individuals；　but　by　their
  intellectual　qualifications。　　The　republic　of　Gondour　was　a　Utopia；　where
  this　plan　had　been　established：
  It　was　an　odd　idea　and　ingenious。　　You　must　understand　the
  constitution　gave　every　man　a　vote；　therefore　that　vote　was　a　vested
  right；　and　could　not　be　taken　away。　　But　the　constitution　did　not
  say　that　certain　individuals　might　not　be　given　two　votes　or　ten。
  So　an　amendatory　clause　was　inserted　in　a　quiet　way；　a　clause　which
  authorized　the　enlargement　of　the　suffrage　in　certain　cases　to　be
  specified　by　statute。。。。
  The　victory　was　complete。　　The　new　law　was　framed　and　passed。　　Under
  it　every　citizen；　howsoever　poor　or　ignorant；　possessed　one　vote；　so
  universal　suffrage　still　reigned；　but　if　a　man　possessed　a　good
  common…school　education　and　no　money　he　had　two　votes；　a　high…school
  education　gave　him　four；　if　he　had　property；　likewise；　to　the　value
  of　three　thousand　sacos　he　wielded　one　more　vote；　for　every　fifty
  thousand　sacos　a　man　added　to　his　property；　he　was　entitled　to
  another　vote；　a　University　education　entitled　a　man　to　nine　votes；
  even　though　he　owned　no　property。
  The　author　goes　on　to　show　the　beneficent　results　of　this　enaction；　how
  the　country　was　benefited　and　glorified　by　this　stimulus　toward
  enlightenment　and　industry。　　No　one　ever　suspected　that　Mark　Twain　was
  the　author　of　this　fable。　　It　contained　almost　no　trace　of　his　usual
  literary　manner。　　Nevertheless　he　wrote　it；　and　only　withheld　his　name；
  as　he　did　in　a　few　other　instances；　in　the　fear　that　the　world　might
  refuse　to　take　him　seriously　over　his　own　signature　or　nom　de　plume。
  Howells　urged　him　to　follow　up　the　〃Gondour〃　paper；　to　send　some　more
  reports　from　that　model　land。　　But　Clemens　was　engaged　in　other　things　by
  that　time；　and　was　not　pledged　altogether　to　national　reforms。
  He　was　writing　a　skit　about　a　bit　of　doggerel　which　was　then　making
  nights　and　days　unhappy　for　many　undeserving　persons　who　in　an　evil
  moment　had　fallen　upon　it　in　some　stray　newspaper　corner。　　A　certain　car
  line　had　recently　adopted　the　〃punch　system；〃　and　posted　in　its　cars；　for
  the　information　of　passengers　and　conductor；　this　placard：
  A　Blue　Trip　Slip　for　an　8　Cents　Fare；
  A　Buff　Trip　Slip　for　a　6　Cents　Fare；
  A　Pink　Trip　Slip　for　a　3　Cents　Fare；
  For　Coupon　And　Transfer；　Punch　The　Tickets。
  Noah　Brooks　and　Isaac　Bromley　were　riding　down…town　one　evening　on　the
  Fourth　Avenue　line；　when　Bromley　said：
  〃Brooks；　it's　poetry。　　By　George；　it's　poetry！〃
  Brooks　followed　the　direction　of　Bromley's　finger　and　read　the　card　of
  instructions。　　They　began　perfecting　the　poetic　character　of　the　notice；
  giving　it　still　more　of　a　rhythmic　twist　and　jingle；　arrived　at　the
  Tribune　office；　W。　C。　Wyckoff；　scientific　editor；　and　Moses　P。　Handy　lent
  intellectual　and　poetic　assistance；　with　this　result：
  Conductor；　when　you　receive　a　fare；
  Punch　in　the　presence　of　the　passenjare！
  A　blue　trip　slip　for　an　eight…cent　fare；
  A　buff　trip　slip　for　a　six…cent　fare；
  A　pink　trip　slip　for　a　three…cent　fare。
  Punch　in　the　presence　of　the　passenjare！
  CHORUS
  Punch；　brothers！　　Punch　with　care！
  Punch　in　the　presence　of　the　passenjare！
  It　was　printed；　and　street…car　poetry　became　popular。　　Different　papers
  had　a　turn　at　it；　and　each　usually　preceded　its　own　effort　with　all　other
  examples；　as　far　as　perpetrated。　　Clemens　discovered　the　lines；　and　on
  one　of　their　walks　recited　them　to　Twichell。　　〃A　Literary　Nightmare〃　was
  written　a　few　days　later。　　In　it　the　author　tells　how　the　jingle　took
  instant　and　entire　possession　of　him　and　went　waltzing　through　his　brain；
  how；　when　he　had　finished　his　breakfast；　he　couldn't　tell　whether　he　had
  eaten　anything　or　not；　and　how；　when　he　went　to　finish　the　novel　he　was
  writing；　and　took　up　his　pen；　he　could　only　get　it　to　say：
  Punch　in　the　presence　of　the　passenjare。
  He　found　relief　at　last　in　telling　it　to　his　reverend　friend；　that　is；
  Twichell；　upon　whom　he　unloaded　it　with　sad　results。
  It　was　an　amusing　and　timely　skit；　and　is　worth　reading　to…day。　　Its
  publication　in　the　Atlantic　had　the　effect　of　waking　up　horse…car　poetry
  all　over　the　world。　　Howells；　going　to　dine　at　Ernest　Longfellow's　the
  day　following　its　appearance；　heard　his　host　and　Tom　Appleton　urging　each
  other　to　〃Punch　with　care。〃　　The　Longfellow　ladies　had　it　by　heart。
  Boston　was　devastated　by　it。　　At　home；　Howells's　children　recited　it　to
  him　in　chorus。　　The　streets　were　full　of　it；　in　Harvard　it　became　an
  epidemic。
  It　was　transformed　into　other　tongues。　　Even　Swinburne；　the　musical；　is
  said　to　have　done　a　French　version　for　the　'Revue　des　deux　mondes'。*　　A
  St。　Louis　magazine；　The　Western；　found　relief　in　a　Latin　anthem　with　this
  chorus：
  Pungite；　fratres；　pungite；
  Pungite　cum　amore；
  Pungite　pro　vectore；
  Diligentissime　pungite。
  *　LE　CHANT　DU　CONDUCTEUR
  Ayant　ete　paye；　le　conducteur
  Percera　en　pleine　vue　du　voyageur；
  Quand　il　regoit　trois　sous　un　coupon　vert；
  Un　coupon　jaune　pour　six　sous　c'est　1'affaire；
  Et　pour　huit　sous　c'est　un　coupon　couleur
  De　rose；　en　pleine　vue　du　voyageur。
  CHOEUR
  Donc；　percez　soigneusement；　mes　freres