short stories and essays-第26章

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rapacity　in　merciless　degree；　but　they　contend　that　when　the　wealth…
winner　drops　off　gorged　there　is　a　kind　of　miracle　wrought；　and　good
comes　of　it　all。　　I　never　could　see　how；　but　if　it　is　true；　why　shouldn't
a　sort　of　ultimate　immunity　come　back　to　us　from　the　very　excess　and
invasion　of　the　appeals　now　made　to　us；　and　destined　to　be　made　to　us
still　more　by　the　adsmith？　　Come；　isn't　there　hope　in　that？〃

〃I　see　a　great　opportunity　for　the　wofsmith　in　some　such　dream；〃　said　my
friend。　　〃Why　don't　you　turn　it　to　account？〃

〃You　know　that　isn't　my　line；　I　must　leave　that　sort　of　wofsmithing　to
the　romantic　novelist。　　Besides；　I　have　my　well…known　panacea　for　all　the
ills　our　state　is　heir　to；　in　a　civilization　which　shall　legislate
foolish　and　vicious　and　ugly　and　adulterate　things　out　of　the　possibility
of　existence。　　Most　of　the　adsmithing　is　now　employed　in　persuading
people　that　such　things　are　useful；　beautiful；　and　pure。　　But　in　any
civilization　they　shall　not　even　be　suffered　to　be　made；　much　less
foisted　upon　the　community　by　adsmiths。〃

〃I　see　what　you　mean；〃　said　my　friend；　and　he　sighed　gently。　　〃I　had　much
better　let　you　write　about　spring。〃






THE　PSYCHOLOGY　OF　PLAGIARISM

A　late　incident　in　the　history　of　a　very　widespread　English　novelist；
triumphantly　closed　by　the　statement　of　his　friend　that　the　novelist　had
casually　failed　to　accredit　a　given　passage　in　his　novel　to　the　real
author；　has　brought　freshly　to　my　mind　a　curious　question　in　ethics。
The　friend　who　vindicated　the　novelist；　or；　rather；　who　contemptuously
dismissed　the　matter；　not　only　confessed　the　fact　of　adoption；　but
declared　that　it　was　one　of　many　which　could　be　found　in　the　novelist's
works。　　The　novelist；　he　said；　was　quite　in　the　habit　of　so　using
material　in　the　rough；　which　he　implied　was　like　using　any　fact　or　idea
from　life；　and　he　declared　that　the　novelist　could　not　bother　to　answer
critics　who　regarded　these　exploitations　as　a　sort　of　depredation。　　In　a
manner　he　brushed　the　impertinent　accusers　aside；　assuring　the　general
public　that　the　novelist　always　meant；　at　his　leisure；　and　in　his　own
way；　duly　to　ticket　the　flies　preserved　in　his　amber。




I。

When　I　read　this　haughty　vindication；　I　thought　at　first　that　if　the　case
were　mine　I　would　rather　have　several　deadly　enemies　than　such　a　friend
as　that；　but　since；　I　have　not　been　so　sure。　　I　have　asked　myself　upon　a
careful　review　of　the　matter　whether　plagiarism　may　not　be　frankly
avowed；　as　in　nowise　dishonest；　and　I　wish　some　abler　casuist　would　take
the　affair　into　consideration　and　make　it　clear　for　me。　　If　we　are　to
suppose　that　offences　against　society　disgrace　the　offender；　and　that
public　dishonor　argues　the　fact　of　some　such　offence；　then　apparently
plagiarism　is　not　such　an　offence；　for　in　even　very　flagrant　cases　it
does　not　disgrace。　　The　dictionary；　indeed；　defines　it　as　〃the　crime　of
literary　theft〃；　but　as　no　penalty　attaches　to　it；　and　no　lasting　shame；
it　is　hard　to　believe　it　either　a　crime　or　a　theft；　and　the　offence；　if
it　is　an　offence　（one　has　to　call　it　something；　and　I　hope　the　word　is
not　harsh）；　is　some　such　harmless　infraction　of　the　moral　law　as　white…
lying。

The　much…perverted　saying　of　Moliere；　that　he　took　his　own　where　he　found
it；　is　perhaps　in　the　consciousness　of　those　who　appropriate　the　things
other　people　have　rushed　in　with　before　them。　　But　really　they　seem　to
need　neither　excuse　nor　defence　with　the　impartial　public　if　they　are
caught　in　the　act　of　reclaiming　their　property　or　despoiling　the　rash
intruder　upon　their　premises。　　The　novelist　in　question　is　by　no　means
the　only　recent　example；　and　is　by　no　means　a　flagrant　example。　　While
the　ratification　of　the　treaty　with　Spain　was　pending　before　the　Senate
of　the　United　States；　a　member　of　that　body　opposed　it　in　a　speech　almost
word　for　word　the　same　as　a　sermon　delivered　in　New　York　City　only　a　few
days　earlier　and　published　broadcast。　　He　was　promptly　exposed　by　the
parallel…column　system；　but　I　have　never　heard　that　his　standing　was
affected　or　his　usefulness　impaired　by　the　offence　proven　against　him。　　A
few　years　ago　an　eminent　divine　in　one　of　our　cities　preached　as　his　own
the　sermon　of　a　brother　divine；　no　longer　living；　he；　too；　was　detected
and　promptly　exposed　by　the　parallel…column　system；　but　nothing　whatever
happened　from　the　exposure。　　Every　one　must　recall　like　instances；　more
or　less　remote。　　I　remember　one　within　my　youthfuller　knowledge　of　a
journalist　who　used　as　his　own　all　the　denunciatory　passages　of
Macaulay's　article　on　Barrere；　and　applied　them　with　changes　of　name　to
the　character　and　conduct　of　a　local　politician　whom　he　felt　it　his　duty
to　devote　to　infamy。　　He　was　caught　in　the　fact；　and　by　means　of　the
parallel　column　pilloried　before　the　community。　　But　the　community　did
not　mind　it　a　bit；　and　the　journalist　did　not　either。　　He　prospered　on
amid　those　who　all　knew　what　he　had　done；　and　when　he　removed　to　another
city　it　was　to　a　larger　one；　and　to　a　position　of　more　commanding
influence；　from　which　he　was　long　conspicuous　in　helping　shape　the
destinies　of　the　nation。

So　far　as　any　effect　from　these　exposures　was　concerned；　they　were　as
harmless　as　those　exposures　of　fraudulent　spiritistic　mediums　which　from
time　to　time　are　supposed　to　shake　the　spiritistic　superstition　to　its
foundations。　　They　really　do　nothing　of　the　kind；　the　table…tippings；
rappings；　materializations；　and　levitations　keep　on　as　before；　and　I　do
not　believe　that　the　exposure　of　the　novelist　who　has　been　the　latest
victim　of　the　parallel　column　will　injure　him　a　jot　in　the　hearts　or
heads　of　his　readers。




II。

I　am　very　glad　of　it；　being　a　disbeliever　in　punishments　of　all　sorts。
I　am　always　glad　to　have　sinners　get　off；　for　I　like　to　get　off　from　my
own　sins；　and　I　have　a　bad　moment　from　my　sense　of　them　whenever
another's　have　found　him　out。　　But　as　yet　I　have　not　convinced　myself
that　the　sort　of　thing　we　have　been　considering　is　a　sin　at　all；　for　it
seems　to　deprave　no　more　than　it　dishonors；　or　that　it　is　what　the
dictionary　（with　very　unnecessary　brutality）　calls　a　〃crime〃　and　a
〃theft。〃　　If　it　is　either；　it　is　differently　conditioned；　if　not
differently　natured；　from　all　other　crimes　and　thefts。　　These　may　be　more
or　less　artfully　and　hopefully　concealed；　but　plagiarism　carries
inevitable　detection　with　it。　　If　you　take　a　man's　hat　or　coat　out　of　his
hall；　you　may　pawn　it　before　the　police　overtake　you；　if　you　take　his
horse　out　of　his　stable；　you　may　ride　it　away　beyond　pursuit　and　sell　it；
if　you　take　his　purse　out　of　his　pocket；　you　may　pass　it　to　a　pal　in　the
crowd；　and　easily　prove　your　innocence。　　But　if　you　take　his　sermon；　or
his　essay；　or　even　his　apposite　reflection；　you　cannot　escape　discovery。
The　world　is　full　of　idle　people　reading　books；　and　they　are　only　too
glad　to　act　as　detectives；　they　please　their　miserable　vanity　by　showing
their　alertness；　and　are　proud　to　hear　witness　against　you　in　the　court
of　parallel　columns。　　You　have　no　safety　in　the　obscurity　of　the　author
from　whom　you　take　your　own；　there　is　always　that　most　terrible　reader；
the　reader　of　one　book；　who　knows　that　very　author；　and　will　the　more
indecently　hasten　to　bring　you　to　the　bar　because　he　knows　no　other；　and
wishes　to　display　his　erudition。　　A　man　may　escape　for　centuries　and　yet
be　found　out。　　In　the　notorious　case　of　William　Shakespeare　the　offender
seemed　finally　secure　of　his　prey；　and　yet　one　poor　lady；　who　ended　in　a
lunatic　asylum；　was　able　to　detect　him　at　last；　and　to　restore　the　goods
to　their　rightful　owner；　Sir　Francis　Bacon。

In　spite；　however；　of　this　almost　absolute　certainty　of　exposure；
plagiarism　goes　on　as　it　has　always　gone　on；　and　there　is　no　probability
that　it　will　cease　as　long　as　there　are　novelists；　senators；　divines；　and
journalists　hard　pressed　for　ideas　which　they　happen　not　to　have　in　mind
at　the　time；　and　which　they　see　going　to　waste　elsewhere。　　Now　and　then
it　takes　a　more　violent　form　and　becomes　a　real　mania；　as　when　the
plagiarist　openly　claims　and　urges　his　right　to　a　well…known　piece　of
literary　property。　　When　Mr。