The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1891-08-11
BISHOP PERRY
Explains How He Came to Use
Words and Ideas Which
We're Not His Own, and
Thus Was Charged
With Plagiar-
ism.

ISM.
In last Sundays BAzoo, there sp
peared an article taken from and cred
tied to the New York World to the
effect that Bishop Perry of Iowa, who
was so remarkably active in opposing
the election of Phillips Brooks as
bishop of Massachusetts,, is accused of
gross plagiarism. Some friends Of
Bishop Brooks are said to be pushing
the chsrge. The World alleged that
in a book of Bishop Perry's, entitled,
"Life Lessons from the Book OF
Proverbs, long passages occur which
are identical with passages in the Ex-
eter ball lectures Of Rev Geo. Fiske
of Litchfeld, England, published in
1852, and also published in columns
extracts from Bishop Perry's book and
Mr.. Fiske's lectures in which the
language is precisely the same except
for minor words. Not satisfied with
taking ideas and short paragraphs from
Q lecture over thirty years old. Bishop
Perry, his critics say, distracted whole
pages. Throughout the bishops book
no mention is made Of Mr.. Fisk's lee
ture aud the passages appropriated
are inserted just as if they were orig
inal.
Rev. j. J. wilkins formerly of this
city now of Des Moines, Ia, after read.
ing the above sends the BAzoo the fol.
lowing which appeared in the Dies
Moines Democrat, concerning the
Worlds article and . telegram which
was sent to that paper from New
York, also relating to it. The Demo-
crat says:
"The telegram was shown to Bishop
Perry by a Democrat representative,
and to its charges the bishop made
the following dictsted answer:
MY attention has been called to q
charge of plagiarism made against .
book Of mine published twenty years
and more ago, in which a correspond
ent Of a New York paper had discov-
cred several paragraphs evidently
cited from an English work. With
reference to this charge it is simply
necessary to state that the lecture
sermons printed in the book referred
to, "Life Lessons from the Book OF
Proverbs" we're prepared and deliv-
cred in my first parish in Nashua, n.
H., in 1858 and 1859, and repeated
in my second parish 10 Portland, Me-,
in the years 1861 and 1862. In com.
mon With second course OF
like azure on "The Life Of
Noses" they we're reported in the
newspapers of the day in full, and
we're reprinted in other papers and
magazines, both in this country and in
England. I mention this fact to
show that there could have been no
intention on my part of claiming the
work or words of others as my own,
when the discourse delivered on Sun
day evening was almost invariably
printed in extenso during the week
and circulated broadcast. Both in
announcing and delivering these dis.
courses stress was laid upon the fact
that in their preparation l had laid
under contribution all available
sources of illustration, and in the frag.
ments Of the MS. of the two or three
of these lectutes which have been
preserved after thirty.three years.
every quotation is carefully indicated
and its source noted in the text. Ten
years after the delivery Of these dis
courses their publication was desired
by some who retained . pleasant
memory of them, and q New York
publisher, Thomas Whitaker, printed
the book.
| In the brief preface of the work l
expressly disavowed the claim to orig
inality and referred to the lectures as
drawn from my reading as
we'll ss experience. The illustrations
and arguments, though intended to
be in my own language, we're necces.
EARLY from books and commentaries
in the hands of every one. 10 the
special case referred to 10 the ascot.
ated press dispatch, it is evident that
in printing the book, either from the
newspaper report of the day used As
"copy" or from carlessness in not fol-
lowing the original MS, particular
acknowledgement was Inadvertently
omitted. As at the time of receiving
the proofs, 10 years after the delivery
Of the lectures, was on nv summer