The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1897-11-27
Thanksgiving and Plagiarism.

Considerable comment having been
made in the papers upon what was not
only striking similarity in but an
actual identity of the language used
in the Thanksgiving proclamations
recently issued by Cows. Stephens of
Missouri, and Pingree, of Michigan,
the latter has frankly come forward
and stated that his versionwas appro-
priated from a similar document is
sued by his predecessor. Gov. Rich.
The Michigan Governors confession
and Justification arc i. - :c,.o":~e ::c,!o":
words:
Il have merely fallen in with the
order of the DAY. The Democratic
Republican combine here in Detroit
stole my platform bodily, so l merely
followed the precedent when | took
Gov. Rich's message. [ guess too
much was taken from the ex-Gover-
nor's message to look good. The
message was too long anyway"
AT first sight Gov. Pingree might be
assumed to have the best title to ap-
prOpriate the language of his imme-
diate predecessor, but the case has
unfortunately been complicated by the
fact that his proclamation was ante
dated by that of the Missouri execu-
tive some four or five days, thus rails
ing the question as to the real source
from which the appropriation Tor pla-
giarism, if it may be called such) was
made. rs Thanksgiving proclaim
ations are not copyrighted nowadays
it is not to be expected that either will
be subject to prosecution under the
copyright laws. butitis not little sur
prising that SO Jealous Populist and
free silverite as Gov. Stephens shou d
be content to give thanks for the ame
reasons and in the same langu age en-
ployed by sound money Republican
like Gov. Rich. Here is something
that he is in danger OF being called to.
account for by his Populist followers.
The modification growing out of de-
lection in a case of this, kind might
be avoided if executives, inexperienced
in the preparation of perfunctory doc
uments of this character, would turn
the work over to experts, as clergy
men have sometimes been accused of
doing in the preparation of their SER
mons-though even here there is dam
ger of being caught in plagiarism.
But, come to think of it, it is barely
possible that some of our Governors,
do that already.
This case MAJ recall to the mind Of
some colder inhabitant'' the famous
Thanksgiving proclamation of Sal
mon P. Chase, issued about 1856.
while he was Governor of Ohio. At
that time Thanksgiving was regarded
as a purely Yankee institution" "
and the custom - - ---
only beginning to be recognized in q
few of the States outside of New Eng
gland. In the ''SOlid South" and in
some of the Western States it was
looked upon as device for over
throwing the "divine institution" of
slavery. and they would none of it. -
Gov. Chase consequently had fewer
opportunities to plagiarize from other
executives, so his proclamation was
made up largely of quotations from
the Psalms so deity arranged that no
one ever accused him of plagiarism,
though the origin was readily dis
tinguishable. Yet no Thanksgiving
proclamation in this country ever re-
ceived more general commendation,
unless it was that of President Lin
coin in 1868, when he set the example
OF issuing proclamation for a ma
tiOnal Thanksgiving, which has been
followed ever since.-Chicago Tri-
bune.