Is it an army of volunteers who have enlisted for the war； and may
righteously be shot if they leave before the war is finished？ No； it is
not even an army in that sense。 Those fine military terms are high…
sounding； empty lies； and are no more rationally applicable to a
political party than they would be to an oyster…bed。 The volunteer
soldier comes to the recruiting office and strips himself and proves that
he is so many feet high； and has sufficiently good teeth； and no fingers
gone； and is sufficiently sound in body generally； he is accepted； but
not until he has sworn a deep oath or made other solemn form of promise
to march under； that flag until that war is done or his term of
enlistment completed。 What is the process when a voter joins a party？
Must he prove that he is sound in any way； mind or body？ Must he prove
that he knows anythingis capable of anythingwhatever？ Does he take
an oath or make a promise of any sort？or doesn't he leave himself
entirely free？ If he were informed by the political boss that if he
join； it must be forever； that he must be that party's chattel and wear
its brass collar the rest of his dayswould not that insult him？ It
goes without saying。 He would say some rude； unprintable thing； and turn
his back on that preposterous organization。 But the political boss puts
no conditions upon him at all； and this volunteer makes no promises；
enlists for no stated term。 He has in no sense become a part of an army；
he is in no way restrained of his freedom。 Yet he will presently find
that his bosses and his newspapers have assumed just the reverse of that：
that they have blandly arrogated to themselves an ironclad military
authority over him； and within twelve months； if he is an average man； he
will have surrendered his liberty； and will actually be silly enough to
believe that he cannot leave that party； for any cause whatever； without
being a shameful traitor； a deserter； a legitimately dishonored man。
There you have the just measure of that freedom of conscience； freedom of
opinion； freedom of speech and action which we hear so much inflated
foolishness about as being the precious possession of the republic。
Whereas； in truth； the surest way for a man to make of himself a target
for almost universal scorn； obloquy； slander； and insult is to stop
twaddling about these priceless independencies and attempt to exercise
one of them。 If he is a preacher half his congregation will clamor for
his expulsionand will expel him； except they find it will injure real
estate in the neighborhood； if he is a doctor his own dead will turn
against him。
I repeat that the new party…member who supposed himself independent will
presently find that the party have somehow got a mortgage on his soul；
and that within a year he will recognize the mortgage； deliver up his
liberty； and actually believe he cannot retire from that party from any
motive howsoever high and right in his own eyes without shame and
dishonor。
Is it possible for human wickedness to invent a doctrine more infernal
and poisonous than this？ Is there imaginable a baser servitude than it
imposes？ What slave is so degraded as the slave that is proud that he is
a slave？ What is the essential difference between a lifelong democrat
and any other kind of lifelong slave？ Is it less humiliating to dance to
the lash of one master than another？
This infamous doctrine of allegiance to party plays directly into the
hands of politicians of the baser sortand doubtless for that it was
borrowedor stolenfrom the monarchial system。 It enables them to
foist upon the country officials whom no self…respecting man would vote
for if he could but come to understand that loyalty to himself is his
first and highest duty； not loyalty to any party name。
Shall you say the best good of the country demands allegiance to party？
Shall you also say that it demands that a man kick his truth and his
conscience into the gutter and become a mouthing lunatic besides？ Oh no；
you say； it does not demand that。 But what if it produce that in spite
of you？ There is no obligation upon a man to do things which he ought
not to do when drunk； but most men will do them just the same； and so we
hear no arguments about obligations in the matterwe only hear men
warned to avoid the habit of drinking； get rid of the thing that can
betray men into such things。
This is a funny business all around。 The same men who enthusiastically
preach loyal consistency to church and party are always ready and willing
and anxious to persuade a Chinaman or an Indian or a Kanaka to desert his
church or a fellow…American to desert his party。 The man who deserts to
them is all that is high and pure and beautifulapparently； the man who
deserts from them is all that is foul and despicable。 This is
Consistencywith a capital C。
With the daintiest and self…complacentest sarcasm the lifelong loyalist
scoffs at the Independentor as he calls him； with cutting irony； the
Mugwump； makes himself too killingly funny for anything in this world
about him。 Butthe Mugwump can stand it； for there is a great history
at his back； stretching down the centuries； and he comes of a mighty
ancestry。 He knows that in the whole history of the race of men no
single great and high and beneficent thing was ever done for the souls
and bodies； the hearts and the brains of the children of this world； but
a Mugwump started it and Mugwumps carried it to victory： And their names
are the stateliest in history： Washington； Garrison； Galileo； Luther；
Christ。 Loyalty to petrified opinions never yet broke a chain or freed a
human soul in this world…end never will。
APPENDIX S
ORIGINAL PREFACE FOR 〃A CONNECTICUT YANKEE IN KING ARTHUR'S COURT〃
（See Chapter clxxii）
My object has been to group together some of the most odious laws which
have had vogue in the Christian countries within the past eight or ten
centuries； and illustrate them by the incidents of a story。
There was never a time when America applied the death…penalty to more
than fourteen crimes。 But England； within the memory of men still
living； had in her list of crimes 223 which were punishable by death！
And yet from the beginning of our existence down to a time within the
memory of babes England has distressed herself piteously over the
ungentleness of our Connecticut Blue Laws。 Those Blue Laws should have
been spared English criticism for two reasons：
1。 They were so insipidly mild； by contrast with the bloody and
atrocious laws of England of the same period； as to seem characterless
and colorless when one brings them into that awful presence。
2。 The Blue Laws never had any existence。 They were the fancy…work of
an English clergyman； they were never a part of any statute…book。 And
yet they could have been made to serve a useful and merciful purpose； if
they had been injected into the English law the dilution would have given
to the whole a less lurid aspect； or； to figure the effect in another
way； they would have been coca mixed into vitriol。
I have drawn no laws and no illustrations from the twin civilizations of
hell and Russia。 To have entered into that atmosphere would have
defeated my purpose； which was to show a great and genuine progress in
Christendom in these few later generations toward mercifulnessa wide
and general relaxing of the grip of the law。 Russia had to be left out
because exile to Siberia remains； and in that single punishment is
gathered together and concentrated all the bitter inventions of all the
black ages for the infliction of suffering upon human beings。 Exile for
life from one's hearthstone and one's idolsthis is rack； thumb…screw；
the water…drop； fagot and stake； tearing asunder by horses； flaying
aliveall these in one； and not compact into hours； but drawn out into
years； each year a century； and the whole a mortal immortality of torture
and despair。 While exile to Siberia remains one will be obliged to admit
that there is one country in Christendom where the punishments of all the
ages are still preserved and still inflicted； that there is one country
in Christendom where no advance has been made toward modifying the
medieval penalties for offenses against society and the State。
APPENDIX T
A TRIBUTE TO HENRY H。 ROGERS
（See Chapter cc and earlier）
April 25； 1902。 I owe more to Henry Rogers than to any other man whom I
have known。 He was born in Fairhaven； Connecticut； in 1839； and is my
junior by four years。 He was graduated from the high school there in
1853； when he was fourteen years old； and from that time forward he
earned his own living； beginning at first as the bottom subordinate in
the village store with hard…work privileges and a low salary。 When he
was twenty…four he went out to the newly discovered petroleum fields in
Pennsylvania and got work； then returned home； with enough money to pay
passage； married a schoolmate； and took her to the oil regions。 He
prospered； and by and by established the Standard Oil Trust with Mr。
Rockefeller and others； and is still one of its managers and directors。
In 1893 we fell together by accident one evening