The morning call., 1894-03-29
WILL THERE BE A DuELq

An interesting controversy is pending
between Mr.. William Greer Harrison. who
is an expert on average-adjusting,a and Mir.
Peter Robertson, WHO'S the dramatic critic
of morning contemporary. In moments
of weakness both gentlemen INDUCED in
the dissiration of writing plays. Mr.
Harrison committed a tragedy in verse.
entitled 'The O'NeilP'; Mr.. Robertson the
libretio of an opera. entitled His
Majesty" 1t was stated in the paper with
which Mr. Robertson was connected that
"The ONeil" was in part borrowed from
an old play on the same theme; and in re-
taliation the author of "Tbe O'Neill'
charges Robertson with having borrowed
his libretto from a story published In
Blockt0ood forty years ago. Feeling runs
pretty high on the subject. 1t is feared
that the O'Neill may sheaths knife in
Robertson's midriff, and il is an open
secret that the author of His Majesty"
contemplates the perfOIatiOn Of the aver
age-adjuster with pistol bullet. for which
no bottomry bond can serve as a shield.
THE CALL beseeches the belligerents to
control their tempeTs. Plagiarism is a
charge which has been brought against
every dramatic writer Of eminence except
Sheridan, and in most cases the charge has
been we'll founded. Shakespeare was the
champion plagiarist Of bis day. He stole
from English historians, writers Of
memoirs, Spanish plays, and above all from
Italian rOmances. The writers whom be
held up and disemboweled are all enumer-
ated in Richard Grant Whites edition of
his works. Public opinion has neverthe-
less acquitted him OF wrong. The Spanish
plays and the Italian storyettes which lie
appropriated are all dead and forgotten;
he clothed their thoughts in graceful witty
lines. which will live forever. Moliere
was as unprincIpled a conveyer of other
mems plots as Shakespeare. But when
they charged him with plagiarism he con-
temptuously replied: Pooh! nonsense! l
take my property where l find it," Mr..
Longfeilow's sensitive nature was
wounded when Edgar A. Poe began his
book on the liteTau with a chapter headed
Mr.. Longfellow and other plag artists"
But the graceful author Of the psalm Of
Life" was long ago pronounced blameless.
and his an ntagonist went TO his grave with
the brand of spitefulness on his brow.
The Cambridge poet delyed deep into the
treasures of old Scandinavian and Spanish
lore, and where he found theme that was
suited to poetic treatment in our tongue he
made it his own to the great delight of
English-speaking readers and to the glory
of American literature.
If in the course of his reading Mr. Har-
rison found an CID dead play which con-
tanned thoughts or situations or characters
which he could turn to account in a new
play it was his right to use them he would
have been fool if he bad not And if
Mr.. Peter Robertson is indebted to Black
10ood for some OF the good things in his
most witty and amusing librettO the fact
only shows that Bldcklcood was a brighter
magazine forty years ago than it is now.
People who 60 to tragedy want to cry;
those who 90 to a comedy want TO laugh;
if the author makes them cry or laugh, as
the case is, they do not care where he got
bis inspiration. Persons who object to
plagiarism on the stage are first cousins to
the asses who object to good joke be-
cause 10 Miller heard it in his time. They
forget that there is nothing new under the
sun.
1t is to be hoped that thess two distin-
guished playwrights will appease their
thirst for mutual gore and will 60 on writ
ing more good plays. Peter Robertson
showed il "His Majesty" that be can
write as bright libreito as Gilbert; If he
stole il we hope he will steal some more.
"The O'Neill" is good as prentice work;
the author may do better. He has an
Dounced his intention OF writing
play on Mazarin. Whether the life of
the Cardinal contains dramatic pos
sibilties may be question; the French
playwrights do not seem to have thought
it Gid. But there is a splendid subject for
a melodrama in the career Of his nieces,
the Mancini sisters, each one of whom had
a career which was romance in itself.
II Mr.. Harrison should tackle this theme,
and should make success of it, the audi
ence would not care what previous
writer's he laid under contribution.