Clemens, Samuel L.

A page of autograph manuscript from The Gilded Age (8 x 4 7/8 in.; 203 x 127 mm), [Hartford, 1873] approximately 98 words, written in black ink with a few emendations and corrections, numbered at the top margin 1187 (originally numbered 5), hinged to a page of manuscript from Charles Dudley Warner's portion of the novel (numbered 931), and accompanied by 3 other manuscript pages by Warner (724, 1148, and unnumbered). Half brown morocco folding-case.

In this fragment of Chapter 51, Colonel Sellers attempts to convince Washington Hawkins that the small minority of honest men in Congress are capable of doing some good.

"'Oh, yes it can, too'

'Why, how?'

'Oh, in many ways, many ways.'

'Well—I don't know—it is a question that requires time; a body can't answer every question right of-hand. But it does I am satisfied of that.'

'All right, then; grant that it does good; go on with the preliminaries.'

'That is what I am coming to. First, as I said, they will try a lot of members for taking money for votes. That will take four weeks. ...'"