The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-12-14
Plagiarism, or Unconscious Saages

David Belaseo has probably taken the wise
course In bringing a ibel suit against the author
who accuses him Of having stolen his ideas for
use In his latest play. The common practice in
such a case is TO wait till the aecuser begins to
sue out njunctions and tie everybody and every
thing up in a snarl, which can usually be TN
raveed only by compromise involving the
sacrifice Of dignity both sides, for a con-
fession OF plagiarism is dishonor, and an aduis-
sion that deliberate charge may have been Ill
/ founded is humiliation, matter what pretty
! face YOU put upon it. Meanwhile, the play-goinS
/ public witnessing interrupted performances or
none at all suffers vicariouslv for the liugious
/ disposition OF the parties in interest Inc MEL
suit however reverses the order OF grievance
and answers every lawful purpose OF bringing
out the facts under oath and subject to the silt
ing OF testimony by oross-eNarirauon. II the
showing is favorable to the alleged libeler, It VIII
be her turn to come back at the pagiarlst ana
the record of her defense will furnish her win
a ready-made arsenal OF evidence IN an action
for remuneration and damages
Dramatic plagiarism is a very hard thing TO
prove We doubt whether the Western ANA.
tour PLAYWRIGHT who claimed precedence OF Ro.
stand in the actual authorship OF 'Cytano'
though he won his suit m Cheaso court by &C.
, fault has vet won il before the tribunal OF
ronuiar opinion very interesting but entirely
D. / ineffective case was made out against Bronson
+ Howard's Bankers Daughter soon after 1t be
came a flvorite. Mt. Howard, il we recall th'
facts correctly first wrote his play IN cfude
form and tried it in an 'neonspiouous play
house under the title Lillian After few per
= formanc,s he withdrew it for amendment an'
when he had dressed IL up TO suit his fancy bet
Il ter he submitted it the Union Square theatcI
). in New York There 1t passed through the hand
c OF a salariod editor OF plays Mr. Casauan' WIN
i revrotc one act and modified others to make tn
j. work more suitable to a metropolitan audience
a II was then produced under its present n'e an
n made an instantaneous success
n While these events were in progress one nos
re had written a play called The Golden Calls am
IS submitted It to the Union Square theater hi
Is like MIR. Howard's play, was turned over to NJ
lie Cazauran who, according to his own story, pt
it away in a closet reserved for such storag
Roge charged that Cazauran read The Gold,
Calf" before pigeonholing it, and lifted certa
Is situations and dialogue bodily out of it TO inse
" in the Bankers Daughter Nothing ever can
~ Of the charge, and Mr. Howard's play thous
~ it has lost lbs first vogue in the noveIy-seeEh
" circle. still holds the stage.
Now. it Is not difficult TO see how all parh
I' 10 this controversy may have had both right al
W. wrong on their sides. Mr.. Howard, beyond al
l question, was innocent Of plagiarism, first or la
Gu conscious or unconscious but his purse M
~ nevertheless have prohted through the inhuen
y Of Roees work Cazauran may not knowing
d have transferred line idea from kog
OK plav to Howards and may even have torgottc
e. when he revised the latter, that he had ever Sc
another in the least resembling il, Roge howev
las may have been quite sincere in his charge a
ar accurate as TO his facts in the last analysis
zin The human mind is, after all, only a rcsut
)e- machine largely automatic 1t IS a mill q
ter erinds a thousand grists in a day. Who can
ne when and where a little OF the meal from c
may mix with the next that is run through
same hopper and puverized between the sa
,o, stones l--IVa5hiHgtoH Post