IN several different issues of the SENTINEL we have inserted for the special benefit of Mr. M. A. Gault a “clashing voices” exercise. So far we have no evidence that the reverend gentleman has applied his genius to the explication of any one of them. Now we have an exercise to which we would call the particularly special attention of Rev. M. A. Gault, District Secretary of the National Reform Association.
This which we now insert is not exactly a clashing voices exercise. We rather think that it would be more to the credit of Mr. Gault if it were. The voices are entirely too much alike to appear well. We happen to have in this office a copy of the St. Louis Republican of Sunday, August 1, 1886, in which there is an article written by Mr. George Yule, of St. Louis, under the heading, “Christians against Christ.” The last words of Mr. Yule’s article are as follows:—
“In conclusion I would remark that it is absolutely suicidal for the pastor of the First Christian Church to continue fooling, like a giddy little boy, in front of the ponderous wheels of the Juggernaut of Truth. It may be an exhilarating thing for him to stand upon his head and turn handsprings before the public upon the serious Sunday question; but as his true friend, we beg of him, we plead with him, we implore him, to keep out from under those wheels.”
Now with the last sentence of this, please “read, compare, and inwardly digest” the following written by the Rev. M. A. Gault in the Christian Statesman of October 14, 1886, page 4, first column.
“It may be exhilarating for the editor of the SENTINEL to stand on his head and turn handsprings before the public upon so serious and important a question; but as his true friend, we beg of him, we implore him, to keep out from under the wheels of the National Reform movement.”
We say again that these voices are entirely too much alike to appear well for Mr. Gault. A comparison of these two quotations casts a good deal of a shadow upon Mr. M. A. Gault’s literary honesty. And, lest some one should think that we are indulging in “insinuations,” we would say that as a matter of fact Mr. Gault’s words appear to be a downright plagiarism. For about his words in the Statesman there is not a sign of quotation marks nor of credit. The words appear in the Statesman as wholly his own. If the words are his own, then a comparison with those of Mr. Yule reveals a psychical phenomenon that is truly wonderful.
In our December issue we printed an article under the heading, “Is It Ignorance of Duplicity?” in reply to Mr. Gault’s “counterblast to” the SENTINEL. And in view of that article there can be no doubt as to how our question should be answered. Our columns are open. Will Mr. Gault rise and explain?
A. T. J.