Donald T. Bliss, "Mark Twain's Election Advice: Vote Your Conscience!"

Presented on October 21, 2026 in the Quarry Farm Barn as part of the 2026 Fall Trouble Begins Lecture Series. The 2026 Trouble Begins Lectures and Park Church Summer Lecture Series are made possible through the generous support of the Mark Twain Foundation. A Gilded Age political commentator, Mark Twain believed that democracy requires informed and engaged citizens who vote their conscience for candidates of integrity and accomplishment, regardless of party or platform. Twain wrote his beloved Livy: “when we are not satisfied, we can change things.” Mark Twain can’t tell you how to vote, but his guidelines remain relevant today. Ambassador Donald T. Bliss (retired) served in the federal government for 13 years under five presidents and practiced law in Washington DC for more than 30 years. He is the author of six books, including MARK TWAIN'S TALE OF TODAY and MARK TWAIN'S TEN LESSONS FOR A HEALTHY DEMOCRACY. His great grandfather and grandfather were Mark Twain’s publishers.