Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1891-03-19
ABOUT Thai POEM,

ABOUT THAT POEM.
Newspaper controversy may or may
not be interesting and advantageous to
readers, according to the nature of its
subject matter. With neither space nor
time to devote to trivial differences of
opinion held by brethren of the press,
we have in the present instance matter
which, from it's close relation to Ver-
mont's early hero, Ethan Allen, as well
as it's oft claimed connection with various
well-known writers, can not fail to be of
much interest to Vermont readers in
particular and to literati in general.
We published in our issue of February
u a poem contributed by DR.. W. L.
White of this village, under the caption
esprit of Ethan Allen Revived, by w.
L. White.'' But slight analysis is neces-
sary to show that under such head no
claim was laid to originality, but Brother
Stiles of the Springfield Reporter, mind
full of the fact that we were new comers
to Vermont and doubtless trifle messy
as to her early literature and history,
thought it bit unfair that our ignorance
should be imposed on, and volunteered
to set us right in the following para
graph which appeared in the Reporter
under date of February 20:
The poem in last weeks Bellows Falls
Times entitled .sThe Spirit of Ethan Allen
Reyived,' signed William l.. White and
dated February 10, was copied almost word
for word from poem by John G.. Whittier
entitled "The Song of the Vermonters," pub
lished in 1s34-35. Mr.. White should be
W(h)ittier in his revision next time.
We don't like to be taken in on poetry,
and while considering which particular
mode of annihilation DIR. White might
prefer, it occurred to us that it might be
well to have the evidence down fine. We
had never noticed the poem in Whittier's
writings; still we haven't been reading
much poetry for the past three months,
anyhow, and it might be there. So we
asked the Reporter for more light in our
issue of February 26, thus wise:
Sho! Can such things be? A plagiarst
working THE TIMES! 1t must be looked to-
Will the Reporters ''literary editor' now in
| form us just where this poem is to be found
in Whittier's complete works. We should
like to show it to Mr.. White when he hap
pens in again. An early response will oblige
The Reporter responded, devoting a
column and half to its reply, repro.
ducing the poem in comparison with an.
other, 'sThe Song Of the Vermonters
1779," both poems being prefaced by the
following:
| We give below the g Song of the Vermont
ers,' written by John G. Whittier in 1888 OIL
letter to Hon. Daniel Roberts of Burlington
who had made inquiry of Mr.. Whittier re
garding his suspected authorship. The entire
correspondence can be found in the Burling
ton Free Press of August 4, 1877. We alst
give in the next column the "poem'' thai
DIR. w. l.. White evidently copied from the
Song and foisted upon the BELLOWS
| FALLS TIMES, in a recent issue, as ''orignal.'
Like a counterfeit note, it suffers by compar
ison with the genuine.
This evidence was full enough but il
was not direct. 1t did not tell us where
to find it in Whittier's writings, ant
there seemed TO be an evasion about it al
which was distinctly disappointing. DIR
White Immediately handed in reply
which is appended, and we went to worl
on a little investigation of our own
The DR.. now speaks for himself
BELLOWS FALLS, March IA, 1891
| To the Editor Of THE TINES:
Softly, softly, Mr.. Literary Editor of th,
Reporter. You are young yet. When yor
are older and have read more you NAV b,
more conversant with the literature of ou
country. At least you might acquire tb,
habit of being more truthful. mans repu
tation j. the immortal part of himself: it ma,
live long after he is dead, and the genera
laws of our state consider it of so much i'm
portance as to forbid any mans assailins
another's character or reputation unjustly
You accuse me through the columns of til,
Reporter of plagiariZing John G. Whittier.
poem and when asked whereabouts il
Whittier's complete works this particular
poem may be found, you find yourself un
able to point it out, for the reason that it i
not to be found in the four volumes of hi
complete works, nor in the appendix pub
lshed in 1888 wherein he processes to allow
all of his earlier fugitive poems to he pub
lished. You also accuse me of :. foisting m,
poem upon THE TIMES as original Hat
you as much sense as venom in your genera
makeup, you would have seen by the title O
my pocm that I claimed no mart nf IL as orie