The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1875-11-23

enemy. and 81 regretted Ivy every generous
aud kindly heart.
We are Ready TO Pay for Our Reading.
If the utterly commonplace thing about
n subject has not been said il is safe to
rclY ON Trrrra HOLLAND to supply the
deficiency.
Mr.. CHARLES Rr,DE lately finished
series Of letters written in advocacy Of an
international copyright. They were after
his most egotisiic, slcdgc-hammcr style,
Displaying an entirely unnecessary amount
Of heat and concluding with an eXtrava-
CANT picture Of America rs Il field FOR lit
erary work, II il were not devastated hy
the lack oil an international copyl sht. As
an argument IN favor Of the extension Of
the authors uatent the series was dam
ngcd hy the almost ludicrous Intensity of
Mr.. RI ,pE's manner. say what lie may
IN pint in culogy Of MS. the author of
81 lc tloistcr ana thcllcarth' really looks
ON Autroa a- the home of lot of sharp
Yankees, whose main object in life is 60
pifcr The wares ~ the British author lie
therefore won't after the unscrupilor.
traders with the fcrocity of n bun dog and
the cunning Of u serpent. We need not
say that an This was entirely unnecessary;
but Mr. Rr,nE Is "a man who viii have his
own way Of sayiuy a thing. and who Is con-
WINGED that IL is the best way that could be
Ce, isol, aud iar ahead OF any other man =
way
In fine, white Mr CHARLES RrApE some
times writes very readable novels. which.
though be specially prdes himself on his
knowledge of the female character, fire.
qucntly depict rather silly women and
that little coarscly, he IS yet very exas-
perating letter writer. Though he went
10 work very earnestly to RAISE our tone
and fire our hearts in regard to internn-
tional copyricht, II the Brit III authors had
had the selection of an advocate We should
have advised them to pick ont one who
could reason more calmly than Mr..
CHARLES EEADE. But TUrrER HofIAND
thinks otherwise. He praises Mr. RrNDr's
letters in his COMMONPLACE way, aud su--
taius their demand for an international
copyrieht; but he adds nothing whatever
20 the discu, ION. though he loads il with
some obvious truths.
There l., indeed, no logical argument
against al international copyright exc. pit
the antagonism of interest, between the
publish, r. of this country and those o.
England. The authors on both sides Of the
Atlantic are agreed a. to lis inherent JUS
tice, and the people of this country,
though they may have given little atten-
ton 10 the subject, have never opposed il.
nor do the American publishers obi, Ct
TO the internationally of the copyright ii
il can he SO brought about rs TO save their
Interests. They are entirely wiling to pay
the British author his royalty, hut they
| naturally are little charmed with the idea
| Of turning over the manufacture Of all
/ books of English authorship sold i'm our
market to London OF Edinburgh publish
cr- They are not pirates, but they IN,
not men WHO enjoy the prospect Of trans
! tcung any great pant of Their business 10
American branches OF British publishing
| houses.
Just here Is tho hitch in the plan FOR ihc
conpishmopt of Nj ErtuL'- wishes. IN
a large number OF cases the British uuti.ol
sells ont his interest in lis book to his Lon
don publisher. OF course. if the pub.
Usher coud command the American n.
wei a- the English market, he could afford
10 pay the author more for his book. But
i'm many instances even this possible nd-
vantage of an inter NATIONAL copyright /,
discounted by the ability of the Eng
lish author 10 sell tie advanced shcet
Of his book at a handsome price 10 III,
American publisher for simullHucou,
publication here. This price the Amcri
can publisher pays, though he is pro
tod 10 al. 81.
the book only 10y what is called the cnur
tesy of the tmde n sort of business chiy
airy not invariably piactlsod, rs every pub
Usher knows. The attitude Of book house,
like the lIARPrRs ana the APpLEruNs TO
ward the British author is one Of fairnes
aud even liberdlitV. Nh CHARLES READ
surely has nothing To complain of on
THAI score. They pay him from FIVE to ten
thousand dollars for the advance sheets o
II story. CHARLES DICKENS could maxi
even better terms; Mr. WILKIE CoLMN
makes terms as good; the author of " JOIN
Halifax, Gentleman" is literally romunnr
ntcd for her work; GEORGE ELIOT com
mauds for hors high price, rs TGNNy~u,
does for his, ana long list of other BITiisl
authors receive payment larger or smallc.
ns measured by the popularity Of thci
Writings and the conso quont proht to tn
American publisher. There are not three
native American nOyclists who can 60
from their copyrighted works so much a
MI. READE, Mr.. COLLINS, or GEORGE ELlo
can always secure from American pub
fishers for their advanced sheets though
their books have no other protection THAI
the uncertain courtesy of the trade. w
do not believe that an international copy
right would very materially increase Tia
present profits on the American stimuli
| taneous publication OF the works vi thes