The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-12-10
DRAMATIC COPYRIGHTS.
THE CLIQUE OF PETTY TYRANTs THAT CRUSH
AND PLUNpEE AMERICAN TALENT-swEEPING
CHAEGEs-THE ''BANKER's DAUGHTER

THE CLIQUE OF PETTY TYRANTs THAT CRUSH
AND PLUNDEE AMERICAN TALENT-swEEPING
CHAEGEs-THE Banners DAUGHTER
New YORK, Dec. o. 1873
To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD
As the question of dramatic copyrights is again
brought up for discussion, as perceive by the
HERALD of the 9th and 7th inst permit to
in quiet corner Of your paper my sentiments on the
subject. which ought to be those Of every American
desiring to see his country cease to pay tribute to
foreign talent especially to France, whose authors
are our most unhappy victims.
Two conditions essential to enable us to fatter
ourselves that we have really American dramatic
literature. The first is to find authors of sufficient
capacity to enable them to understand the manners
Of the age and at the time to be sufficiently in
dependent-sufciently artistic to satisfy the wants
of our American public without restraining his own
talentthat is to say, without fearing to expose the
vices and defects of the public who pay to their
plays especially as the public after ALL expert
ence has shown. is willing that they should be told
frankly--rudey, if you pleasether faults and foes
as. for example sardou has successfully done in la
Famille BenoIton" and Dumas in Monsieur
Alphonse." The theatre then would become school
Of high morality.
The second condition is to find managers to offer
to the public only plays of incontestable merit as
well as originality, style and sound philosophy, in
order to reform the manners Of the age and elevate
only establishments that pay expenses. Those who
to-day call themselves dramatic authors form little
jealous coterie eager to seize the prey which
within their reach They pillage right and left,
sometimes from three four authors at time with
scarcely an attempt at conccalment. Indeed. they
often deliberately it. making a sort of literary
hash to which they ax their 1t is useless to
cite instances, everybody knows them This small
business has become regular trade. One Of our
managers pays his copyist by the year, so that, in
spite of what Mr. Palmer in his letter of the Sth
in the HERALD. American theatres nothing
but shops" and the managers only retail Dealers.
selling to their customers nothing but counterfeit
goods and giving them false weight.
1t is above these giants of the dramatic art in Amer
ica jealous and pulled up with their merit, that
modest and conscientious author is obliged to leap
But. great Heaven! what a welcome he will receive!
Let him who has written for the stage answer. He is
only happy poor fellow, if his play is politely and
safely returned to him.
ask Of manager that he should read all the plays
that offered to him, but if author presents
himself to him with favorable notice of his work by
honest critic, ought not manager if regsrdful OF
his duty to the public, give the unknown welcome?
To do would be the best means Of developing what
A in point has occurred. Mr.. Oh. Villa, the
critic Of the Courier des Flats Jnis, recommended
play as "much superior to any produced for long
time IN this country" The author ntrusted this
seen it since. But long time after his play pro-
duced, with the title of THE Bankers Daughter"
with changes here and there in the names of the
characters ami in the arrangement Of the but
essentially the same play transparent disguise,
through which the authors work could be readily
legal proceedings to obtain injunction against the
manager. well as damages for the violation Of his
rights. AID. ROGE.
No. 2O6 West Twenty-third street. New York.