B: removal of criminal charges
Answer: I would say B
Explanation: Because I know that A and D are true and I'm pretty sure that Texas Merchants did vote against the secession, as the people of Texas did vote against the secession which is another reason why I think B is the correct answer.
The term that Mark Twain coined as an era characteriezed by a facade of prosperity was gilded age. "Gilded Age" was a title of a book that he co-wrote with Charles Warner. The book is about poor people trying to get rich and their relentless pursuit of wealth. Gilded gold was a term that meant that gold was placed on top of gold over and over, as in a bar of gold.
