The editor of an obscure little publication in Chicago, wrote an article for the Journal of Christian Science last July, quoting carelessly from the pages of Science and Health without crediting the same. Of course the selections were suitably indicated before the careful Journal permitted the insertion of the article in its September number. Then the matter was supposed to be dropped. But eleven months afterward this slow-thoughted Westerner awakens to a sense of manly indignation that a woman has actually been identified with her own possessions, and hurls at her a series of
UNPROVOKED ACCUSATIONS
in a childish, two-page editorial of his magazine. He complains that quotation marks were placed around obviously quoted (albeit recklessly arranged) ideas, and instances the following as proof of the injustice thereby done himself: "If Spirit, or Mind, was first, it was the Life, and being first and the only substance, it created matter out of itself; hence if matter was produced out of Spirit it is Spirit; it is that out of which it is made." [Science and Health, Vol. I., pp. 10, 11. Vol. II., pp. 100, 149.] "Now cite a line that I have quoted," he triumphantly exclaims. The more appropriate exclamation would be, "See what an excellent memory I have; " for outside of Science and Health the logic was never ventured that made, by pure deduction, man and the universe spiritual, not material, and subject only to spiritual law.
One may write up the subjects, Spirit, man, matter, ringing all possible changes, but if he strike the chord that Spirit is the only substance, and its creation all the existing reality, he draws from Christian Science, and encroaches on the boundless domain of Science and Health for the potency of his arguments. This man knew that he uttered a
DOWNRIGHT FALSEHOOD
when he said that Rev. Mrs. Eddy, the founder of the science of Mental Healing, borrowed from him, who knew nothing of what he writes on this subject, as hundreds can attest, until last Spring, when she was in Chicago, and kindly allowed him to visit her class and listen to five lessons gratuitously; since which he has abused her in almost every issue of his Mind Cure for being exorbitant in her prices (which she has not stooped to notice), and for not calling them six lessons, and saying they qualified him for teaching, writing and practising what she knows he does not understand.
THE CARELESSNESS
of Mr. Swarts as an editor is further manifested by his insistence through the columns of his publication, that Rev. M. B. G. Eddy was publisher of the Journal of Christian Science during January and February, 1885. This is a mistake. She had nothing whatever to do with the Journal of Christian Science, except to render charitably financial aid and written contributions, from September, 1884, to April, 1885; hence all editorial matter, whether so indicated or not, was referable to myself as editor pro tern, of the Journal. I wrote the paragraph in the February, '85 issue, alluding to the Mind Cure as a
PRETENTIOUS LITTLE PUBLICATION
and kindly calling its editor's attention to the history of the Arens plagiarisms (of Science' and Health) as noted in the United States Circuit Court record in Boston, case 1850. He retorts, that he "never quoted half a line from the book." I open a copy of his December ('84) magazine and read: "If sin, sickness and death are real, then they are eternal;" then I turn to Science and Health, and read: "If evil is as real as good, then it is eternal. The false evidences of personal sense would make sickness real but not eternal." I find other parallel passages also, as nearly transferred as the above example, in the Oct., Nov., Dec. ('84), Feb. and March, ('85) issues of the Mind Cure. And as for poor old Beneficio's contributions' to the May and June Nos. of that magazine,— it is pitiful to see how faithfully he copies everything but the Spirit and Life of Christian Science in his prosy meanderings.
IT KILLS THE USEFULNESS
and welcome of any publication to present ideas that don't read fresh alongside older productions. That quotations are not verbatim doesn't signify. Mrs. Livermore closed a brilliant public address lately with a quotation from Whittier, in which, to suit the occasion, she made seven verbal changes within three lines. But every body knew the verses were from Whittier, and she wouldn't think of claiming them as her own, because she made verbal changes. A few years ago a prominent Greek scholar wrote a book, The Modern Greek, which classical scholars, all over the country praised highly. But the shrewd book critic of the New York Times put a large part of it with parallel passages from an older author's work, and—suddenly there was a great hush under the classic shades. The Greek had not quoted verbatim, but his work was adjudged plagiaristic, and died at once.
The Rev. Editor pompously quotes Ingersoll's strategic command: "Put up, or shut up." I have obeyed the first half of his oracle's injunction, and now it remains with him to show his wisdom by following the second (for him) more difficult half of the order.
