My New Century Dictionary, 3 huge volumes, published
in 1927 does not contain the word 'racist', which, I
fear, is one of those convenience words to be thrown
out on those occasions a speaker finds unpleasing.  For
example, when asked to read and compare The Autobiography
of Ben Franklin and the Autobiography of Malcom X. one
of my younger students replied that 'he wasn't going
to read anything by a fat, white racist'.

I hope this is not taken as a simple quibble, but as
a gentle tug at the collective sleeve to suggest that,
if we judge writers with an ex-post-facto term, we
are probably moving a bit too hastily.

Judged in terms of his own time Twain was a good man
who did not live happily beside human frailty, not
even his own.

Jack Cady
Pacific Lutheran University