The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Curious Republic of Gondour and Other
Whimsical Sketches, by Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)

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Title: The Curious Republic of Gondour and Other Whimsical Sketches

Author: Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)

Last Updated: February 17, 2009
Release Date: August 20, 2006 [EBook #3192]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK REPUBLIC OF GONDOUR ***

Produced by David Widger and Trevor Carlson

THE CURIOUS REPUBLIC OF GONDOUR AND OTHER WHIMSICAL SKETCHES

By Mark Twain

NOTE:

Most of the sketches in this volume were taken from a series
the author wrote for The Galaxy from May, 1870, to April,
1871. The rest appeared in The Buffalo Express.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

THE CURIOUS REPUBLIC OF GONDOUR
A MEMORY
INTRODUCTORY TO "MEMORANDA".
ABOUT SMELLS
A COUPLE OF SAD EXPERIENCES
DAN MURPHY
THE "TOURNAMENT" IN A.D. 1870
CURIOUS RELIC FOR SALE
A REMINISCENCE OF THE BACK SETTLEMENTS
A ROYAL COMPLIMENT
THE APPROACHING EPIDEMIC
THE TONE-IMPARTING COMMITTEE
OUR PRECIOUS LUNATIC
THE EUROPEAN WAR
THE WILD MAN INTERVIEWED
LAST WORDS OF GREAT MEN

THE CURIOUS REPUBLIC OF GONDOUR

As soon as I had learned to speak the language a little, I became
greatly interested in the people and the system of government.

I found that the nation had at first tried universal suffrage pure
and simple, but had thrown that form aside because the result was not
satisfactory. It had seemed to deliver all power into the hands of the
ignorant and non-tax-paying classes; and of a necessity the responsible
offices were filled from these classes also.

A remedy was sought. The people believed they had found it; not in the
destruction of universal suffrage, but in the enlargement of it. 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 quie