The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-06-24

CnarleS Reau9, as a SOrs OF suppienenI 10
the recent effort made by British authors to
secure the aid of Disraeli in obtaining an
international copyright law, has written
letter explaining his position. His remarks
are of very little Importance, being chiefly
devoted, as is commonly the case with his
epistles, to his own affairs; but leaving aside
the rights of authors, there is one aspect of
the copyright question which should al
ways be presented TO the American people
when the subject is agitated. 1t should be
borne in mind that so long as American
publishers can pirate English books this
country will remain, as far as literature
is concerned, in sort of vassalage.
The declaration of ninety-nine years ago
did not win literary freedom. 1t must not
be understood from this remark that the in
heritance of English literature, which is
the noblest ever known, save, perhaps, that
of ancient Greece, is not to be priced as the
richest part of the new worlds dowry.
Neither is il to be inferred that the daily
product of English thought and scholarship
is to be despised. On the contrary, it is one
of our greatest working advantages that
there is another great nation making use of
the same language, into the results of whose
labors we can enter. The only
danger is that the production of
books should be confined mainly
to England through the operation of free
trade in literature. The copyright which is
laid upon American books in this country
makes the publication of them dearer than
the reproduction OF English books of the
same grade, which cost nothing but the
mere mechanical labor of printing and the
price of material The tendency, therefore,
is to confine American books to such classes
as can not be written elsewhere, and to de-
pend upon the authors of the mother country
for all general literature. Thus authorship
in America is discouraged, and not only are
foreign books that should be republished
taken up by American houses, but works
that can only be described as the merest
trash are put upon the market. For in
stance, there is library of select novels is
sued by one of our leading houses. the
greater portion of which is made up OF
dull or vicious books about English life and
society. The same firm would probably re-
fuse to publish an American story of super
| ior merit, preferring to flood the country
with the pirated nonsense. Thus English
authors like Edmund Yates acquire repu-
tation in this country, who would never
have been heard of had they been born on
this side OF the Atlantic and possessed the
right to make publishers pay for their books.
Thus, also, great deal of old world show
and pretense have grown up on American
soil from seed sown by foreign novels. In
answer to there suggestions regarding the
stunning of American literature and the
tainting of Am erican life with foreign ideas
it may be urged that the lack of ar
international copyright tends to cheaper
books and draw the United States and Eng
land closer to each other, as good writer in
one country is apt now to compose with ar
eye to an audience beyond the sea. These
are considerations Of some weight, but they
do not overbalance the evils of the present
system. 1t may be selfish, but it is
none the less sensible, to say in conclu
sion, that all that is of any great value il
English literature is beyond the pale of any
copyright law, and what new works would
be worth republication the American people
would be rich enough to pay for.