The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1866-11-07
From The Chicago Tribune
Price of Paper and Books,

We have received the following letter from
Mr.. L. D. Ingersoll, editor of the Daily Jour
nal at Muscstne. He is abe author of his
tory of Iowa Troops in the late war, 9 large
octave volume, which was reviewed ct some
length in our columns in March last:
MUscArINE. Iowa, Oct &c, 1866.
Editors Chicago Tribune:
GENTLEMEN-It is thing for which you
ought TO receive the distinguished considera
ton and thanks of the pu olic, that you have
re-opened the paper question. 1t has happen
ed that | have had some practical experience
In the practical workings of the present law
on the subjeot-for / take it that the slight
est change made by the last session of CON
gress has no perceptible effsct--and it may
not be withous usefulness to state some facts,
many Of which I saw and part of which /
was
/ spent two months and more in Philadel-
phis, last winter, attending to the publication
of historical work pertaining to the gallant
part taken by the troops of the state of Iowa
in conquering the Shareholders rebellion. |
spent much of the time the publishing
house of j. B. Lippincott & Co., and, trust
without impairment curiosity, learned good
deal about the book and paper trade. When
the work l speak of was sterotyped, there
were found to be ia pspes An edition of
$500, it will be seen, would require good
deal of paper, and good deal of muslin, q
good deal of leather, and of all the other
things used in the process of book making.
Notwithstanding the fast that the house of
Lippnoott j Co., pu blished the work as low
az L could have had it done at any respecta-
BILE house. and lower than I could have had it
done, with equal mechanical excsllence,in New
York, discovered thai | might have gone to
London and saved several hundred dollars on
the edition by having it published at the
British metropolis. | could have paid my
passage In Cunsrd steamship across the At
lantlc and back, paid all personal expenses
brought back an edition of the work. and put
it on the market With several hundred dol
lars III my exhausted purse Every intelli-
gent publisher In America knows that this is
so. Mr.Llppincott has been in Europe many
months, tor no other purpose than to buy and
ship to this country whole editions of foreign
works-works upon which there 10 no Amer
lean copyright, for which not single penny
has to be paid to their authors, and which,
therefore ought to be published cheaper here
than abroad, and would DO but for the miser-
able Craftsmanship (God save the mark y
which, In the asserted influence of home IN
teress,> builds up the great publishing houses
OF Paternoster Row, and to q proportionats
extent, tears down those of Boston ,NewYork.
Philadelphia, Cincinnati and Chicago.
Now, if this thing existed as to matter
that people guzzled down their throats, or
even wore upon their backs or thrust on the
outside of their heads; if it existed as TO
what Is called whisky or brandy,or fine silks
and satlns, artificials, monstrous waterfalls,
ETC., etc, things of luxury and ugliness, it
would be well enough. But aside from the
TACT OF this American statesmanship,' putting
oF forn - = 81.
worst OF all taxes, q tax on knowledge It
Is great shame that this American states
manship' enriohes the foreign publishers of
the works OF Carlyle at the expense of the
publishers OF the works of Macaulay at the
expense OF the home publishers of the great
American work of Bancroft and 30 on, and
30 on ell around the circle. But it ia a still
greater shame that this hum bug called Amer
lean statesmanship. still practically in the
interest OF foreign houses, should put up the
price OF our own school books and the very
Bibles from which we think we learn the way
of eternal life.
Ifee government must be based upon gen.
efal intelligence. Librt cibus amino, books
are 1ooo Tor the mind, is an old saying. Hor-
ace would now add newspapers no doubt
They are absolute necessities. and of es much
more Importance to the common veal as thu
nina Is superior to the body. Bologna sau-
sages are excellent things in their way. hut
the country might get along without them
1t cannot get aloog without an intelligent
pubic. and to put tax upon the neonle,s
means of acquiring intelligence is simnlv
persecution. 1t can only be called tax bv
courtesy. ~
Respectfully, &C.,
l.. ID. INGERsoIL.
Mr.. Ingersoll might have added that Web.
ster's spelling books are printed in large
quantities in London for the American mar.
ket. The book trade in the United States is
struggling against protected paper, protected
cloth, protected leather, protected thread and
protected types. The only thing wanting
now to destroy it entirely, is q tariff on books
g Efficiently high to put them out of the reach
of common people. Something might be done
in the same direction by putting an addition
al tariff on chemicals which enter into the
of paper, so as to induce some
man to DIVERSITY his industry" by making
powders. Having done all this,
the FOOLS paradise would not be far off.