New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-09-15

t0Ou00OOs sAS
nation. The rotten TRADE II the hiring trade: OF
n operates on books just - it does on piano
fortes: it reduces the customers to handful. and
artificial prices become necessity OF that ono mar
row market The 31s. Cd. is ali humbug: the puo,lc
does not buy copy the eaie Is e?nlned 10 On inc
if by q popular author. but otherwise Us. TO IZs'
But il is calamitOus system: encourag-
ing the writing of rubbish and enables .Ides
born to be humbugged to hold back the good book,
and substitute the trash with mendacious excuses.
in the crednlous country parcf, nns so
authors and publishers in this country wonld gladly
see it done away WITH, and the universal habit OF
buying books restored; and /, for one. look to the
American publishers to help us in this with their
sounder system; for under inst laws when sound
system encounters an unsound 1t - always the ui-
sound that gives way. Below the above rotten trade
lies the true trade OF the cOuntry-goOd books ut
moderate prices-and some books and periodicals at
wonderfully small prices. These very novels, sold
to the Libraries at fabulous prices, are sold to the
public in l vol. at u.s.. 5s, and 2s. AT Is, they
are in boards. with an illustration outside, and
vignette.
durable sale, American publishers cannot produce
such volume for fifty cents, by Stealing the COM
position as the English publishers do. paying copy
right. -
submit to you specimens OF cheap publications.
under copyright, and | think the American pub
fishers can hardly match them with cheap piratical
books or papers.
The London Reader. Large Guarto weekly % pages;
four CRAVINGS OF several figures all the matter
original, and copyrighted; no advertisements Price, =
cents.
gravings Two cents
Bor-Iiels Twenty-Five pages, all copyright; admira-
bic type; numerous engravings. Two cents.
The Penny illustrated and several other weekes, hay
ing all the characteristics the matter and ha en-
cravings copyright aud the price cents
Several inferior illustrated wecklies; cent
Mr.. ROuedges and other Lists OF cheap BOOKS nre copy
Fifty complete novels. with yiguette on cover, pub
lished by MI Henderson Price. cents; IN boards,
IL cents Isend one OF them. written by Mr. Compton
Reade. who is an Oxford scholar and risns writer ne
charge the public for tho binding equals the charge Tor
tine copyright the paper and the printing. 10 great
laws, capital and enterprise dare not produce "OiAs so
cheap rs the above.
The fear that British Authors the assignees of
their American copyrights might stand out for our
Lilrory prces in the United state, is an old mis-
giving which has had its day in England. Queen
Annes Parliament had much such fear Well!
What did they do! Why, provided against it III q
section giving right of complaint to several great
Func.ionares any one of them. and investing
those dqnitaries with special power to compel tine
publication on reasonable terms. The precdution
proved quite superiluons. However, if the Legsla-
ture Of the United States is uneasy on TINS head, 1t
IS rUtfor the American and British authors who ask
a great boon. to make childish difficulties. Here IL
the cure in stroke of The pen.
iocts hut papelcd. printed. and bound iii ,hc United
States as hereinbc toIe enacted, may not be I'M
prictor Of lie copyIght in any such WORK shall he
COM sicd to p2ns or ca'Se t S ,,e t in ' I ,
inbefOc specified 4. reasonable price, NOT cNce'hlh|
the highest price that is dentned Tor book o me 7tn
character, eil,, aud quality, written by an AIMEE.
nr;ra Of sne work Sian be duly notified and adver
m
fore pubclton and should The plce 80 ahF'rtsr,t AZ
near excessive II snail lawful f0f ans per'on 10 lodge
a complaint with here enunesdte' tie Junction
ari. l. ard the either of them -, on the said
denac shall have authority suspend The publication
ana hear tie evidence without deiy; and, il the price
adv cr'scd ne excessive shall aiA Ist an" lesonan'e
price provided always tina. in those CASES Where tno
book shall be publ he'd tor tie foreign proprietor by az
proprietor shall be allowed 10 add the reasonable fee OF
The agent 10 the plcr OF inc said Dook N,d . 'ai
giving various and large discretionary powers 10 te sd
jadEc,
If. with all these safeguards to the American pub
lie to the statoucrs and the Publisher. EiteTna-
tiuna Staec-right. against which no objection has
ever been Offered. and International Copyright, both
propertics that belong to rs by common law, are
botb refused to the American and British author
willie international patcnt-right Is enacted. and
yicds balance of three hundred tlnlI'and poni.iS
year. British money, - american cltzrs lh'n Ji.a
lice is nothing fair-rlay II noh'8g, humanity
20 those men living, WON ihe Rep,ihHc WORSHIP;
dead. is nothing, National literature IS "0HHGi a"
il is ao.hrg Tor great nation, Mh,ch III ne near
aud misery Of IT. war, Cou.d INA ply ana Sip-
startial ,ncrosiy for one SCI of British ivbie -
ad !,. So dom has covered iiarii WITH glory 1t .-
n1 iinq say, Tor ,at noble nation % so'i IL eory
IL single Ouf aioi, SIT of BII sil uUiirc!S - M
pr0vdent. and Iar n!0r' deserving AID make war
Hp1n those WoI1hJ, weak, ana una!incd M,i' III
,'ord / c.iil tho ear Of ore Cly->cs :. Grant. |
think he wouid silc VIII the weak, an u he oid
tho iyc-iol i-iqulI "ouid 500" ii' 'oi II % n't 10
wei defended a. ,hnoid Was.
TIE So F-GESP.CT OF AUTHORS.
The in,r!.iioht thief.
THIS IS pc, ,onage dIsapproycd ia Jewish history.
Bnt H. has II M his own way with IA Anpio-SaX-
o,v. One 81 n, trlI,s is 10 ius,ill those "hon be
villages. lie pat one hand in cug pockets, and
shakes the other ,, III our faces. rs an example of
this note some snccrs by Mr.. pdscoc, and other
professors Of moral and arimetical log, that All
thors in asking for international copyright, show an
exec .sive love OF money. That reniarN applies mora
10 those who coVat the goods of Others, than
10 those who coYet Her orr. Ii Is "a sneer
that comes as i'll from salaficd writer's, who
cannot he pillaeel, as it does from pelsioned
lawyers: and it is hcariless sheer; for they know
by hst0ry-if they know anything-that authors
have passed through centuries Of pauperiSin, misery,
and DEGRADATION ON their way-to what ito modest
coincidence and decent poverty. Popular authors
are rare. and even their income does not approach
that of the prosperous lawyer. divine, physician,
actor OF actress. There are two actors about, who
have each made hundred and fifty thousand pounds
by playing q single part Ill two plays, fOr which tie
two authors have not received two thousand pounds
The painter has two great markets, lis pic
ture and his copyright. The author has but
one International copyright will merely give
him two, and raise him to the painters
commercial level. No author has ever left fortune
made by writing Dickens. the sole apparent excep-
ton was reader and publisher. AS a rule, when
a respectable author dies either I've had Independent
means or the hat goes round. If authors are to DO