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as to price； and when she arrived there the cabman's extortionate charge
was refused。 He persisted in it； and she sent into the house for her
employer。 Of all men； Mark Twain was the last one to countenance an
extortion。 He reasoned with the man kindly enough at first； when the
driver at last became abusive Clemens demanded his number； which was at
first refused。 In the end he paid the legal fare； and in the morning
entered a formal complaint； something altogether unexpected； for the
American public is accustomed to suffering almost any sort of imposition
to avoid trouble and publicity。
In some notes which Clemens had made in London four years earlier he
wrote：
If you call a policeman to settle the dispute you can depend on one
thinghe will decide it against you every time。 And so will the
New York policeman。 In London if you carry your case into court the
man that is entitled to win it will win it。 In New Yorkbut no one
carries a cab case into court there。 It is my impression that it is
now more than thirty years since any one has carried a cab case into
court there。
Nevertheless； he was promptly on hand when the case was called to sustain
the charge and to read the cabdrivers' union and the public in general a
lesson in good…citizenship。 At the end of the hearing； to a
representative of the union he said：
〃This is not a matter of sentiment； my dear sir。 It is simply practical
business。 You cannot imagine that I am making money wasting an hour or
two of my time prosecuting a case in which I can have no personal
interest whatever。 I am doing this just as any citizen should do。 He
has no choice。 He has a distinct duty。 He is a non…classified
policeman。 Every citizen is； a policeman； and it is his duty to assist
the police and the magistracy in every way he can； and give his time； if
necessary； to do so。 Here is a man who is a perfectly natural product of
an infamous system in this citya charge upon the lax patriotism in this
city of New York that this thing can exist。 You have encouraged him； in
every way you know how to overcharge。 He is not the criminal here at
all。 The criminal is the citizen of New York and the absence of
patriotism。 I am not here to avenge myself on him。 I have no quarrel
with him。 My quarrel is with the citizens of New York； who have
encouraged him； and who created him by encouraging him to overcharge in
this way。〃
The driver's license was suspended。 The case made a stir in the
newspapers； and it is not likely that any one incident ever contributed
more to cab…driving morals in New York City。
But Clemens had larger matters than this in prospect。 His many speeches
on municipal and national abuses he felt were more or less ephemeral。 He
proposed now to write himself down more substantially and for a wider
hearing。 The human race was behaving very badly： unspeakable corruption
was rampant in the city； the Boers were being oppressed in South Africa；
the natives were being murdered in the Philippines； Leopold of Belgium
was massacring and mutilating the blacks in the Congo； and the allied
powers； in the cause of Christ； were slaughtering the Chinese。 In his
letters he had more than once boiled over touching these matters； and for
New…Year's Eve； 1900； had written：
A GREETING FROM THE NINETEENTH TO THE TWENTIETH CENTURY
I bring you the stately nation named Christendom； returning；
bedraggled； besmirched； and dishonored； from pirate raids in Kiao…
Chou； Manchuria； South Africa； and the Philippines； with her soul
full of meanness； her pocket full of boodle； and her mouth full of
pious hypocrisies。 Give her soap and towel； but hide the looking…
glass。 ＇Prepared for Red Cross Society watch…meeting； which was
postponed until March。 Clemens recalled his 〃Greeting〃 for that
reason and for one other； which he expressed thus： 〃The list of
greeters thus far issued by you contains only vague generalities and
one definite namemine： 'Some kings and queens and Mark Twain。' Now
I am not enjoying this sparkling solitude and distinction。 It makes
me feel like a circus…poster in a graveyard。〃＇
This was a sort of preliminary。 Then； restraining himself no longer； he
embodied his sentiments in an article for the North American Review
entitled； 〃To the Person Sitting in Darkness。〃 There was crying need for
some one to speak the right word。 He was about the only one who could do
it and be certain of a universal audience。 He took as his text some
Christmas Eve clippings from the New York Tribune and Sun which he had
been saving for this purpose。 The Tribune clipping said：
Christmas will dawn in the United States over a people full of hope
and aspiration and good cheer。 Such a condition means contentment
and happiness。 The carping grumbler who may here and there go forth
will find few to listen to him。 The majority will wonder what is
the matter with him； and pass on。
A Sun clipping depicted the 〃terrible offenses against humanity committed
in the name of politics in some of the most notorious East Side districts
〃the unmissionaried； unpoliced darker New York。 The Sun declared that
they could not be pictured even verbally。 But it suggested enough to
make the reader shudder at the hideous depths of vice in the sections
named。 Another clipping from the same paper reported the 〃Rev。 Mr。
Ament； of the American Board of Foreign Missions；〃 as having collected
indemnities for Boxer damages in China at the rate of three hundred taels
for each murder； 〃full payment for all destroyed property belonging to
Christians； and national fines amounting to thirteen times the
indemnity。〃 It quoted Mr。 Ament as saying that the money so obtained was
used for the propagation of the Gospel； and that the amount so collected
was moderate when compared with the amount secured by the Catholics； who
had demanded； in addition to money； life for life； that is to say； 〃head
for head〃in one district six hundred and eighty heads having been so
collected。
The despatch made Mr。 Ament say a great deal more than this； but the gist
here is enough。 Mark Twain； of course； was fiercely stirred。 The
missionary idea had seldom appealed to him； and coupled with this
business of bloodshed； it was less attractive than usual。 He printed the
clippings in full； one following the other； then he said：
By happy luck we get all these glad tidings on Christmas Evejust
the time to enable us to celebrate the day with proper gaiety and
enthusiasm。 Our spirits soar and we find we can even make jokes；
taels I win； heads you lose。
He went on to score Ament； to compare the missionary policy in China to
that of the Pawnee Indians； and to propose for him a monument
subscriptions to be sent to the American Board。 He denounced the
national policies in Africa； China； and the Philippines； and showed by
the reports and by the private letters of soldiers home； how cruel and
barbarous and fiendish had been the warfare made by those whose avowed
purpose was to carry the blessed light of civilization and Gospel 〃to the
benighted native〃how in very truth these priceless blessings had been
handed on the point of a bayonet to the 〃Person Sitting in Darkness。〃
Mark Twain never wrote anything more scorching； more penetrating in its
sarcasm； more fearful in its revelation of injustice and hypocrisy； than
his article 〃To the Person Sitting in Darkness。〃 He put aquafortis on
all the raw places； and when it was finished he himself doubted the
wisdom of printing it。 Howells； however； agreed that it should be
published； and 〃it ought to be illustrated by Dan Beard；〃 he added； 〃with
such pictures as he made for the Yankee in King Arthur's Court； but you'd
better hang yourself afterward。〃
Meeting Beard a few days later； Clemens mentioned the matter and said：
〃So if you make the pictures； you hang with me。〃
But pictures were not required。 It was published in the North American
Review for February； 1901； as the opening article； after which the
cyclone。 Two storms moving in opposite directions produce a cyclone； and
the storms immediately developed； one all for Mark Twain and his
principles； the other all against him。 Every paper in England and
America commented on it editorially； with bitter denunciations or with
eager praise； according to their lights and convictions。
At 14 West Tenth Street letters； newspaper clippings； documents poured in
by the bushellaudations； vituperations； denunciations； vindications； no
such tumult ever occurred in a peaceful literary home。 It was really as
if he had thrown a great missile into the human hive； one…half of which
regarded it as a ball of honey and the remainder as a cobblestone。
Whatever other effect it may have had； it left no thinking person
unawakened。
Clemens reveled in it。 W。 A。 Rogers； in Harper's Weekly； caricatured him
as Tom Sawyer in a snow fort； assailed by the shower of snowballs；
〃having the time of his life。〃 Another artist； Fred Lewis； pictured him
as Huck Finn with a gun。
The American Board was