Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-06-24
FATHER: MacCORRY'S DE TENSE.

from the BUTTE Miner: WIFI you kind
ly permit me to say just a few simple
words on the subject of the Butte Parai-
lel," which I find SO vehemently discussed
in a copy of the Anaconda Standard just
at hand.
First of all, in regard to the extracts
paralelled, | beg to say that in the orig
inal manuscript of my lecture submitted
by request to a representative of the
Miner. the quotations in question are
duly credited to foreign sources by quo
tation mark and foot notes on three dis
tinct occasions. In my delivery Of the
passages from the platform I prefaced
the extracts respectively: LAS one has
said,' TO quote again. and I'm the
words Of another" as those who followed
me closely on the occasion will recall.
In two instances the paragraphs OPEN
ing the quotations nave been omitted in
the Miner report, the second parts of
the passages being carried through with
out quotation marks or credit.
our representative will recall that I
gave my manuscript only on condition
that 1 be permitted to correct the proofs
before they appeared in permanent
print. Through no fault of your repre-
sentative the proofs did not reach me.
The copy from which your compositor
worked was what purported to be a du-
plfcate of my lecture which you reporter
had typewrftten- in Butte. 1t ignored-as
I found in the printed, report next day
some entire paragraphs, and in every
instance quotation marks and foot-note
references alike. sass
The copy used by the Standard was a
manifold fac-simile of the same. In this
I hurriedly corrected the more patent
errors that struck my eyes in the few
y,pn,optS a. M 1icnnca1 hot waop tho tip1o
that the Standard requested my manu-
script and the time of the trains de-
parture which carried it to Anaconda. In
this the representative of the Standard
will bear me witness.
SO much for the Importance of the
deadly parallel"
AS to the passages showing close sim
ilarity or identity of thought with other
writer's or speakers-I have no apology
to make. Thoughts and ideas are COM
monplaces. And as to the words in which
l clothe them; Whatever be my other
shortcomings. no one ever yet has ac-
cused me of poverty of speech.
I have made a study of the worlds
greatest preachers and rhetoricians, and
have absorbed everything I thought best
in them as far as my humble talents
would permit. My sermons on the great
truths of salvation are based almost en-
tirely on st. A~lphonsus. 1 have no doc
trine to preach which has not been
preached by him and by thousands of
others infinitely more capable than I.
Much Of my thoughts, my style and meth
cd of expression, poor as they are, are
cultivated very largely from the great
French preachers, Bossuet Fenelon and
Bourdaloue. l ave found much that is
helpful in Manning and Newman and
Wiseman-and in the statesmen and
churchmen of the states.
l have never dreamt of apologizing tC
anybody for that.
1t seems to me s~elf-evident to every
thinking mind that NJ man can become
saturated with the thoughts, conceptions
and anguage of other and greater mel
without becoming unconsciously to som
extent their echo and e~xponent-a fac'
demonstrated repeatedly in the history Of
!, literature.
Without rejecting for a moment on thu
+ unuuestionable-if acknowledgements OF
3 Mr.. I~ngersoll-but simply because his
name has entered into this discussion
: have yet to find an argument or idea o.
any Importance in all his speeches tina
; l had not previously found enunciatet
} in the writings of RosSeau or VOltaire Of
Paine.
For the rest, I am silent. If any of m!
: words or others which / may have quoted
: has brought anything of sunshine or hell
or nope into the hearts and lives of thu
men or women who nay have heard me-
for me 1t is enough. h rest is between
my conscience and my God. I know
I shall not fear to meet him in the ap
pointed day. Very truly yours,
8 p. ]. MAC CORY.
Il San Francisco, June 20. 1899.