The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, October 16, 1917, Page 5, Image 5
A COMMUNICATION
To the Editor of the GAME
COCK.
I am so frequently asked by
some of my best students as to
what is legitimate borrowing of
the thonghts of others and what
is not, that I am moved to try to
answer aquestion that will come
into the minds of all thoughtful I
students in connection with their
written work.
The writer who uses another's
words without due acknowledg
ment lays himself open to the
charge of plagiarism. This may
be defined as a kind of literary
dishonesty. It may range from
petty theft in appropriating an
author's choice phrase, to grand
larceny in paraphrasing an en
tire essay or speech without
m3ntioning the source.
Literary thieving is, of course.
as inexcusable as any other kind
of dishonesty. The fact that it
is usually done innocently or un
consciously does not excuse the
act. Young writers need espec
ially to be on their guard against
this literary kleptomania, for
everyone in learning to write
imitates his favorite authors be
fore he attains originality of'
style. Even the great master of
words, R. L. S. tells us how he
"played the sedulous ape" to his
beloved French models. But the
very essence of style is the joy
ous expression of one's own per
sonality. No one is truly edu
cated who can only echo the
words and thoughts of others.
The habit of plagiarism is the
m )st inidious foe of the writer,
and I would warn all my young
friends to beware of this beset
ting sin, for it often presents it
self in the guise of the virtue of
wide reading or diligent re
search. One of the saddest
things that has occurred on the
campus in recent years was a
case of plagiarism. A worthy
and ambitious young man wrote
a prize essay and was awarded a
valuable medal. Much of his
paper was "cribbed" bodily
from a certain author, who
chanced to see a copy of the es
say in The State without quota
tion marks or other acknowledg
ment. He demanded the pun
i.,hment of the plagiarist, who
after a humilating trial before
the Honor Committee was re
quired to surrender the medal.
How easily this life long dis
grace could have been avoided.
The time to avoid the peril of
plagiarism is when one is "read
ing up" on a subject and taking
notes. Here Prof. Baldwin's
rule is excellent,-'-"Cite always,
qluote rarely, use phrase without
quotation never. This last coun-,
sel ought to be superfluous; but1
from a confusion of too copious
notes even educated people will
make half-conscious borrowings,
CAROLINA GAMECOCKS
DEFEATED BY FLORIDA
IO(N"nINI"r FRO'l'01M AG (tNE.)
Wilkinson. Touchdowns, Ball 2,
Lightsey, Weston, S e a b o r n.
Goals from touchdowns. Lightsey
3, Hampton. Time of quarters,
12 minutes.
Carolina (13) Florida (21)
Weston .....LE......Clemmons
Brockington . LT .... Wethbridge
Moore.......LG........ Connell
Smith.......C......... Wells
McGowan .RG......... Swink
Hampton .... RT....... Brannon
Clarke ......RE........ Thomas
Lindsay.....QB..........Fuller
Turr.er...... LH ......Wilkinson
Bowen......RH ........... Ball
Brown ......FB....... Lightsey
Referee, Streit (Washington
and Lee.) Umpire, Arnold (Au
burn.) Head linesman, Brinson.
(Geargia Tech.)
Score by periods:
Florida ..........0 0 21 0--21
Carolina.........0 7 -0 6 13
Enrollment Small.
The total enro'lment of the
University up to (late is three,
hundred and thirty one students,
or exactly one hundred less than
last year. The shortage is main
ly in the law school, and upper
classes where men have left thrun
volunteering, conscription andl
commissions.
The freshmen have about the
same number as last year.
and until this habit is broken up,
nothing can be learned. Facts
are not copyrighted, but phrase
is as strictly private as its mak
er's purse." Don't become a
iiterary pickpocket.
The in.jurious effect of literary
purloining upon education and
character is also pointed out by
Prof. Slater: "The deliberate
stealing of a passage out of a
book with intent to deceive is a
serious offense against college
rules and common honesty; and
the careless or lazy borrowing of
phrases without such intent still
rdefeats the whole purpose of
rhetorical instrnction.'' The
method of the skilled reporter in
summarizing the thoughts of a
speaker under some such caption
as "he said in part" or "he re
marked that" may well be fol
lowed. Direct quotations had
best be limited to famous say
ings, military orders, exact defi
nitions, passages with unusual
finality of phrasing, quaint ex
pressions of old authors, pas
sages of poetry, and the like. Ini
the formal essay the source of
the reference should always be'
accurately indicated in footnotes.
One should remember that it is
a quostion of one's literary hon
or to acknowledge all debts of~
phrase or thought. "Thou shalt
not steal."
G. A. WAUJCHOPE.
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