The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-04-17
RABBIS' SHARP TALK
1t Is Caused by DR.. Silverman's De-
Tense of Pulpit Plagiarism.
DIR. GOTTHElL WAS NETTLED
He Told His Colleague In Plain
Language That the Latter's
Excuses for Morgan We're
Out OF Place.

Brooklyn, April 16.-Members of the
congregation of Temple Emanuel,
Fifth avenue and Forty-third street,
New York, are still talking about the
sensation caused by the Rev. DIR. Jo-
seph Silverman's sermon yesterday.
which was largely a defense of the Rev.
ID. Parker Morgan's conduct in adapt
ing to his own use a sermon preached
by a Unitarian divine. The most prom
inent objector to DR.. Silverman's re-
marks was the Rev. DR.. Gottheil, CO.
pastor of the temple, who left his seat
and retired to an ante room long before
DIR. Silverman concluded. Others fol-
lowed his example. When DIR. Silver
man left the pulpit many members OF
the congregation congratulated him on
the stand he had taken in reference to
DIR. Morgan. While the Misunderstanding
was going on. DR.. Gottheil returned 10
the auditorium and approaching his
colleague. said: II want to tell you,
DIR. Silverman, that 1 entirely disagree
with the sentiments you uttered from
the pulpit to-day"
DR. Gottheil was evidently very an
cry, but his associate kept cool ana re-
piled: :'Well, doctor, can't help that
with you"
This didn't end matters, as DR.. Got
theil rejoined sharply:
IL want to say that this subject
should not have been brought up In
this pulpit at all. 1t Is no business OF
ours. tell you again, that we entirely
disagree with your utterances this
morning..
Here are the portions of the sermon
to which DIR. Gottheil took exception:
EVERY book and every house is
quotation. Milton says William Mat
thews, has been called the celestial
thief. and boldly plagiarized from
Dante and Tasso, and all of them from
Homer And who does not believe that
Homer had a reservoir of learning to
draw from-some mysterious lake OF
knowledge into which he could now ano
then throw his bucket.
Goethe laughed the idea of absolute
originality into scorn, ana declared that
II was the authors duty to use all that
was suggested to MIN from every qua a.
ter whatever. When Shakespeare Is
accused of pilfering, Lander rephes'
Yes. he was more original than his or
iginals. He breathed upon dead bodies
and brought them into life.
s'It has been said of Pope that what
ever Jewel he appropriated he set IN
gold. Perhaps the best definition OF
legitimate appropriation was given by
Hegel when Cousin was accused OF
stealing his ideas. Cousin, said he,
has caught some small fish in my
pond, but has dressed them in his own
sauces.
ON this sense 1 would say that DR..
Morgan has not stolen from, but Inn
proved upon DR.. Putnam. / have al
ready referred to my authority FOR
some noted literary condolences, but
out of respect for the ministerial de-
tective, Dr. Lee, 1 had better refer him
more specifically to William Matthew's
essay on Originality in Literature,
published in the volume entitled Great
Conversers and Other Essays, where
he will find some wholesome truths on
the subject of plagiarism.
I'm this while unfortunate expose
the burden of wrong doing lies not on
DIR. Morgan, whose scholarship and elo-
uuence are we'll known and recon-
mended but upon the great unknown,
Mr.. Lee who, IL seems, has become
tired of hiding his light under bushel.
To him and to all his type. we rec
ommend the salutary prescription OF
Moses, Thou shalt not go as tale
bearer among thy people.
THE clergy ought to practice some
of that brotherly love about which
| they pirate so eloquently, and dispense
some of the milk of human kindness
which they recommend with such fer
vor to the world. 1t may be possible
that among the list of the worlds lost
treasures we may also find the lost
preacher whose practice was consistent
with his preaching, who opened not his
mount save in love and stretched not
his hand save in blessing. Certainly
the preacher ought not to initiate satan
and take a lesson from the snake that
( coileth in the grass, but from the Lord,
who doth gently reprove and forgive
and forget"