MARK TWAIN, LOBBYIST.
He Cuts Loose from Artists and Musicians on Copyright Bill.
Special to the New York Times
WASHINGTON, Dec. 10. - Uncle Joe Cannon did not comply with Mark Twain's request to get him the thanks of Congress, "in a hurry," so that Mark, in his new capacity as lobbyist, could go on the floor and seek votes for the Copyright bill. Uncle Joe would have done it if he could, for he would do anything for Mark, but even a Czar's power is limited.
However, he did the next best thing. He turned his private room over to Mark Twain today to do his lobbying in. As soon as the Speaker spread the tidings Congressmen began to pour in. Mark Twain talked incessantly for five hours and a half. He saw 180 members, very nearly half the membership of the House. All the leaders of both parties came in, Grosvenor, Dalzall, Payne, Williams, Champ Clark, and all the rest.
Mark Twain did not try to be funny with these 180 Congressmen. He fired solid argument at them, and when he got through he had learned something as well as they. He had learned that the authors had made a mistake in tying up their cause to that of the musicians, artists, and other professional men. He discovered that not even his influence and popularity were great enough to save the musicians and artists; that they were doomed anyhow, and that the authors were likely to fall with them unless the bill were split. He also learned that if it was split and the authors got a bill of their own before Congress, it would pass.
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