Newport weekly independent., 1901-05-30
SCISSORED JOURNALISM.

Lord Byron, when assailed by the malignant pen of English bards and Scotch reviewers, who sought his hu- initiation, replied to those self-consti- tuted dictators of literary opinion, in a masterpiece of caustic satire, whose opening verse concluded: "With fools my theme, let satire be my song.'' Endurance of their slurs, pa- tience under their false and en- vious spirited railery had ceased to be virtues for an impulsive and generous nature. With a just indignation he turned upon his abusers and villifiers, which taught them greater respect for truth and justice.
 There are yet a few isolated instan- ces of this same fine breed and natur- ally a few have fallen heir to country print shops. But they are becoming distinguished, not by their talents, but from their rarity Far be it from our intention to detract from this isolated conspicuity they enjoy. Let them grapple it unto themselves with bands of steel that it may not infect the world Let them revel in their sole distinction to their hearts desire. Evil cannot be eradicated in a mortal world; the sin of old Adam forbids it. Then let it be isolated, that it's contact and influence may be least felt. Rest upon your laurels, most distinguished contemporary, and let not the harsh opinion of others disturb the serenity of your assurance or curb your desire to be prophet, priest and king in this community.
 The INDEPENDENT had hardly made it's appearance, before this not highly esteemed contemporary began cam paign of mud singing which has been continued with the pertinacity and obstinacy characteristic of a don- key. Of course this was all rather amusing, this Don Quixote style of fighting, and every body Iamented that the editor of the News had worked himself up to such a frenzy over the possible supplanting of his patent medicine sheet. Some even went so far as to suggest that if when young, his mother had given him q wind d-mill to go up against in a limited round contest, cure of his fevered imagination might have been effected. But the world needs few freaks to know what they are, so peo- pie willthank their stars no more were created
 However, though our guns remained silent, the rattle of heavy artillery from the columns of the News con- tinued to disturb the serenity of local journalism. But the monotony of this sided warfare in getting tiresome even with due consideration as to the course. Peevishness becomes irksome, especially from carping cities who live in glass houses; and to the conn munity which has had held up before it every slight mistake of this paper, we would after long maintained si- lence under repeated, unwarranted and fragrant misrepresentations call attention to one of the many defects of Brother Waterman's glass house.
 This paper has never printed fake telegram as was charged by the News and this we can substantiate. Nor will it ever scissor articles and reprint same without proper credit to the au- thor. On the contrary we propose to show that our contemporary does seize upon and lift bodily from the columns of his exchanges, the thoughts of other men, reprinting them without any credit marks, pass ing them upon his readers as products of his own brain. In plain words, he is guilty of plagiarism, as contempti- ble theft as any form from swiping hens off the roost to the defalca- tions of bank cashiers.
 The editor of the News ill his ac- count of the graduating exercises of the Newport schools in issue of Tues day, May 2sth, begins his article with two paragraphs taken from an article in the St. Louis Republic of Sun day, May 18th. The words are verba- tim, there are.no quotation marks; no correction was made in his next issue as should have been were it a typo graphical error and the public is left