Mark Twain on politics in Montana

This does not mean, however, that Montana would never again capture Twain’s attention or the caustic thrust of his pen. In 1907, Twain attended a dinner in New York City to honor the Copper King and new Senator from Montana, William A. Clark whom Twain considered anything but honorable. Afterwards he wrote a scathing essay titled Senator Clark of Montana that contained the following commentary on the Treasure State’s U.S. Senator:

"He is said to have bought legislatures and judges as other men buy food and raiment. By his example he has so excused and so sweetened corruption that in Montana it no longer has has an offensive smell. His history is known to everybody; he is as rotten a human being as can be found anywhere under the flag; he is a shame to the American nation, and no one has helped to send him to the Senate who did not know that his proper place was the penitentiary, with a ball and chain on his legs. To my mind he is the most disgusting creature that the republic has produced since Tweed’s time."

http://www.butteamerica.com/twain.htm