To perhaps take this out of the realm of angry discussion and get back to
looking at Twain himself, he writes his own scathing satire of those whose
satire is misplaced or misunderstood in his _Buffalo Express_ sketches...
it is titled T. Dewitt Talmadge, who apparently wrote an "editorial" on
open churches and was gravely misuderstood. The piece is extremely
humorous, but it also points out the dangers of using "irony" when the
readers miss the point.  It seems appropriate here.
        Jan McIntire-Strasburg
        UNLV