New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-03-16
ARNOLD ON COPYRIGHT.

HOOKS. AND ALLOWS THAT BOOKS ron h"i'Si'-
CAN READERS SHOULD BIZ PUBLISHED IN AMER
ICA-A PLEA FOR GOOD TASTE IN BOOK-MAklNO'
IrRoM TIE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE 1RiBuNtI
LONDON March d." There is breach OF dell
cacy in rcprintng the foreigners poem without his
consent; there is no breach OF honesty" 90 says
Mr. Matthew Arnold III the very mstuc-
tive article upon copyright which he has
contributed to the March FortRight'g do
not pick out this particular sentence ior
quotation because it is the keynote to ms article
for il is not because agree with It, Tor 90 not
agree with 1t. but because hope 1t may conciilate
the attention of those American partisaus OF Free
Literature who object to importing morality into the
discussion of copyright. Mr.. Arnolds extreme
poteness leads him TO adopt theory OF the matter
which the sensitive publisher who has so long dealt
so freely with other peoples property may DEBATE
without violence to his feelings. Ana tie
question has now, as Mr. Arnold is aware
reached a stage where the essential thlng
Tor the author is not to pass condemnation on
Offenders, but to join with them III the
effort to the passage OF a law when shall
protect author and publisher alike. Mr.. Arnold mas
much to say that is of the highest interest on the
general question of copyright in books, as well
as on international copyright. He does not
write as an aggrieyed person, nor as partisan lie
appeals neither to the sympathieS to the pr'Ju-
dices of the public. He SAYS: MY point of view
will be neither an authors point of view nor pub
lishers point Of vew nor yet the point OF view OF
one contending against authors or publishers but
the point of view of one whose sole WISH
is TO lei things appear to him fairly and naturally
and as they really are" Surely the American pub
lie even our friends in Arkansas and Wisconsin
and the American publisher himself. may take part
in au inquiry entered upon in spirit 50 judicial as
this
Mr. Arnold, indeed is careful to cite the American
publisher as q witness for certain purposes, on Ms
own side. He is aware OF the curious change that
within a few years past has over the views OF
the American publsheIs. He refers to the famous
.circuar of the Messrs Harper prop an interna-
tional conference on copyright. He quotes from
the every temperate and, in general very judi
cious' pamphlet of Mir. George Putnam. the
pregnant remark that America has " no regulation
to prevent tie use. without remuneration, OF the
literary property of foreign authors" lie quotes
this other remark from the same unlmpeachaOle
source that Z" the United States is, therefore, at
present the only country itself possessing
literature Of importance, ana making
large Use of the literature of the world,
which has done nothing to recognize and protect by
law the rights of foreign authors of whose propertyit
Is enjoying the benefit. to obtain similar recog-
milton and protection for It's own authors abroad"
Now. "a Mr. Putnam is a publisher. and the son
of n publisher. do not see how publishers can take
offence at his way of stating the case; or why these
two sentences of his should not be printed and re-
printed in America till the American public and the
American legislator begin to understand what the
real significance of such statement is.
Mr. COnant also comes in for quotation. Mr..
Conanis article in MdcmiUdTS Magazine made some
stir at the time of its appearance; not the less be-
cause it was accompanied by an article in reply
from Mr.. Leonard Courtney, who, as Mr..
Arnold remarks, handles Mr.. Commits state
nents very scornfully and severely. But Mr. Arnold,
being he tells us of gentle disposition is merely
DISPOSED to ask in reading Mr.. COnant "WhO is ii
that is being taken IN hereY Mr.. COnant, writing
from New-YOrk, asserted roundy that the interests
of English authors are quite safe III the
hands of Yankee pirates" (which is Mr. Conants
quotation, not mine; that these Yankee pirates
Conducted the publishing business OF this country
with the most scrupuOus regard for the rights of
foreign authors" y, and that those authors whose
boOGs have been reprinted here without com
pensation to the author may rest assured
that this was owing to the fact that the
sale was not remuneratlve here. and that
international copyright will not make it larger"
These statements. Mr.. Arnold thinks, would have
been in place at that Philadelphia conference which
adopted the cry of Free books for free men," but
he does not clearly see why they should have
been addressed to the British public We
know perfectly we'll tue real facts OF
the case and that they not Mr.. Conant puts
tbem" Mr. Conant. moreover, fortihes his case by
the assertion that American books have been
printed in England without pay 10 the author. This
Mr. Arnold does not deny but asks: % Ii American
authors have not copyright in England, whose fault
is that y And he answers " 1t is the fault OF
America herself, who again and again has refused
to entertain the question OF international copy
right" And further:
IF Engshmen suffer by having copyright
IN America, they have the American Government
and people TO thank for it if Americans suffer by
having no copyright III England, tney nave only 10
thank themselves"
1t must, however, be admtted-most uulucky as
think-that we have at this moment by far the
best of the bargain or the best from the want of
bargain Every body knows that an American au
thor has only to cross the border INTO Canada Ill
der 10 secure an English copyright. Mr.. Motley told
Mr. Arnold that he had done this and many other
Americans have done it and doing t. An Alneri-
can living i'll England may copyright bis book here.
Mr. Henry James. remarks Dir. Arnold, copyrights
at this moment those charming novels of his
which we are all reading"
As TO that liberal payment which Mr.. Conant
speaks of-payment without cOmpulsOn by
American publishers TO English authors-it is, says
Mr. Arnold, more difficult to speak securely. But
he points out that Mr.. COnan3s list of British au-
thors to whom considerable amount of money is
paid from America is to be received with caution:
"Mr. Tonnyson is mentioned, but hear 1t said
that IN truth Sir Tcnnyson has received little or
nothing from the sale of his works in America. One
can at least speak for oneself and certainly have
never received from first TO last, hundred pounds
from America, though my books have been, be-
lieve, much reprinted there"
Mr. Arnold speaks cautiously. He might in fact,
make his list OF unrecompensed authors much larger.
Icould add some names TO il which the American