The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1875-11-05
THE 4MERTCIN DR.iMt.
One Reason why Natise Plays are Exclude,
from the Metropolitan Stage.


from the Metropolitan stage.
To THE EDrron OF TIE SuN-Sir: Permit
me to dissent from thu general Wow taken by
YOU in your structures upon SIR. CNarlcs Gayler's
recent communication with respect To the dee T.
dence In American dramatic compositions.
attribute the exclusion Of native pieces from
our metropolitan stage mainly to the decisions
Of our national and state courts, which have
virtually vested a foreign author with rights an
American can never exucot In enjoy.
The Court Of Appeals, la the olse 81 Palmer vs.
Dewitt, declared; "'fhe common law rights If
autL ora, as now recognized, existed before the
passage OF copyright laws, nud hove not been
taken away or impaired" Again IAN author,
% prouriotor' OF an unpuOlisned literary work
has then q pfuDsHU IN such work, recognized
aud protected boin hero and In ENGLAND, and
the use and tie cIiUuin ut Of Il Is s,curC'i Ia han
dS ~ riaid. The italics are those Of the Count,
nut the main point rests upon definition as to
publication.
- settle THIS question In Great Britain, an act
OF 9TH and 9th Victoria was passed declaring
tie per prin nee Of play ON the public stage Ia
be "a publication, and consequent surrender Of
tne authors risht' unless protected by COPY
right. hut JUICE Drimmond, OF the United
sta 80 Court, IN the ease II Grove agt. Aiken,
decidod that tho con mon law rights of authors
eslst independent Of any statute, and cannot TO
!, pu6h aon mo that he IN. sh statute 6ad NO
Now ne Rusi.h author claims not to enjoy The adj.
vaniases Of Gar yught laws, aud has no need Of
400 docs c,iuol tue American nlarse Tor period OF
~ uWe' on ~ l,e oi9rr nanq, ~ Ameiiean's o9nnon
hrough COPYRIGHT 10 that untry winch absolutely
Z al We sol" 10 be- succc,sfll Dram rs, ne mgst re-
soc IN Great Britain aud there compete VITA Ensish
s.lge me int mai mai copyrist law with Franco
o. nslauon rel r1ducton pr iapiaupnia b9th Fr.ics
b 10 amr prvi 20, ihrorch lssisnincnt 80 r.,idtts IA
ia tnsr Jury. before me int,ruat'on lcopyeht y
i.,ed, mac.icn.ns 81 tue pieces iucrd n London
N"rt gc.pAt 'ens from nc rcncn, every nod play
pi0rmC1 IN tsri, was itin TO rga ppoar un The Eng
lsh u r, aLd then 10 De- trrislerrou 10 Au-r
Twenty years AGO msnaacr actor could acquire
cA, l,N rl'l- gAi! ia ~ american tlou, hct
cood array 4 natyc ,ucr. md numerous goos scing
hpwati, and other Amrricu, prof,s lonal4 M owned
Ip5n oc .tl actor inc Grsmit,st va. coapstd as Al
We pr h, t'ln 20 Iey ios cneourasene' a. neither
managers, and never wiz PA che. Tom ia'lor, q h
us are oat li,s'ir, nor- vile vi J,rri bii.
try complain ,h't hit most amoiuuna llolgo,io
r.us con-, tll' cut ami lcN ihon 10 -G tie Tuins
4cny iha e productions Of Partisan drsmail-ts
purchased by A'iirln ri'uagers On count ut thor
ply pt trclr nayiug cIcaiei an excitement lnroaI 10
iayaganre IN scrnor, costumes and pr potirs ihey
N?alh neyer lropsritc upgn On un nov nroluc!oa
OF 60 has nothing to do witn thc nntcnasr OF an
cxP Mol Tor "a Sian PLAYS 'iSr example sSrdou's
RIM" "hOnsicur Al nn,st," " L. Femme an F.u"
pJyu ran lrdncr. bat absolute failures boards.
re" Nors nlnlasrrs NE far IRON o'ing cnuyersanG
with freucn dramatic literature nthVrwigs they would
lave spared ms innc ion ot the out,mporancuu-
Frozen drama Prior To 1919 even the tncl0draiuas of
iue ia.l.an stage rn'upoaen WIN tnn Or.
nary igt aud good So aud adapl ions ~ hem, such
. Robert Mao are " The WI oN tnpsc' &C. hold
posf's9on of IA. stage to H., present hour
We come 10 ~ from English sources There are hun
drrdr OF similar pieces worldly 81 TtprOuur'lOn
giaTr, ~h0S mcri- ara unannwn 80 uauas . Eurchas
INK reputation. ana turning bind eye 10 ausht save
tncir lulNidg1l prcjudiafs
Neither are auairncVs permit ed n 10 critics reforr
entry Qf tht.trf, except IN Of Trnie rner
srn"y y, f." plaYspcis erJli AZ vpp nniy To- prrps
my phys ~ suytnc" \ recent hurJtlun shows hat
Mr.. NR scs willing 10 pay handsome ROYALTY for
"Our Bojs' merely upon strength OF ns havng ncea
piaA od 500 NIGHTS n London. Defeated N en-
deny"r 10 DOT ~ exclusive mastery ~ ms mneen pro-
cuClion, he rails hack upon "Iuc OVERLAND Honit,"
printed ropies OF which could he purchased 81 NIT
ccnls for the past SIX months Yours, &C, 4. l..