National Republican., 1883-02-15
THE SENATE AND HOUSE,
The Book Schedule Provokos a Long and Inter
esting Debate in the Senate.
As a Result the Duty is Restored as
Provided by the Bill,
A Lively Passage Between Senators Morgan and
Davis on the Coal Question,
THE House Refuses TO Take Up tho Whisky
Bill Mt the Evening Session.
THE SENATE.


bour & Hamilton and large number of busi-
ness men ofWashngton asking for the passage
of tho senate bill to regulate licenses in the
District of Columbia.
Mr.. Van Wyck offered o resolution direct
ing the secretary of the treasury to transmit
to the senate copies of vouchers and items
audited by the first auditor of the treasury on
account of expenses incurred by the depart
ment of Justice since Jan. 1, 1882, with the
names of the special or assistant attorneys
employed, and by what authority in law he has
audited the bills and accounts of said special
or assistant attorneys. Mr.. ingalls, objected
TO the immediate consideration of tho resolu-
tion, and IL went over until to-day.
Mr.. Blair introduced q bill to prohibit tho
employment or performance of labor by con-
victs or persons restrained OF their liberty
upon works or property of the United States
and the expenditure of any moneys OF the
United States on account of such labor.
At the close of the morning business the
senate resumed the consideration OF
THE TARIFF BILL.
The pending question was on agreeing to
tho amendment made in committee of the
whole, putting books, &C., on the free list.
Mr.. Morrill, hoped the amendment would
not be agreed to- If it should be there would
be nothing left for our printers to do except
newspaper and Job work. The materials used
in the manufacture of books being taxed, and
the labor costing more here than abroad, the
business could not be carried on without pro-
lection; and this legislation would ruin not
only the book publishers but also the makers
of type and paper, and morocco, and other
materials entering into the manufacture of
books. Every American writer would go
abroad to copywright his books and have them
published, because OF the less cost OF labor
there.
Mr.. Bayard said he had voted for the mo-
ton to put books upon the free list with an
earnest desire that the means for acquiring
knowledge should be absolutely free; but re-
Election upon the condition of our revenue
laws, and the unfortunate vicious circle of
taxation which makes it impossible to grant
relief anywhere, because you cannot grant
relief everywhere, had convinced him that
the action of the committee of the whole
ought to be modified. This question of the
duty on books had another sido-the NOR
camille The materials used in the manu-
facture Of books were taxed, and the labor
employed had to pay heavy taxes upon its
supplies and the result was that the tax upon
foreign manufactures of this kind could not
fairly be removed while these other taxes
continued. Therefore, if the senate should
decide to restore the paragraph laying duty
upon books which had been struck out by tho
committee of the whole, he would move to
modify it, so as to restrict the duty to books
in the English language, leaving the rate 10
per cent. ad valorem as agreed to in commit
tee of tho whole before the paragraph was
struck out.
Mr.. Morgan said tho senate had taken two
votes deliberately upon this question and he
hoped its action would now be left undis-
turbed, though he had observed that the chair
man of the committee on finance CMr. Nor
rill) was not willing to accept any action Of
the senate which did not accord with his
own views. He (NIr. Morgan) had hoped that
we should be able to raise sufficient revenue
for the support of the government without
laying tax upon the means Of acquiring
knowledge. Nothing could be more contrary
to the spirit of the age than such tax.
The book publishers of this country, in the
northern cities, had been enabled by means
of tariff duties, to acquire monopoly, which
they had used as an agency to propagate ideas
upon political and religious questions which
the south had found it necessary to resist rs
we'll as possible by establishing similar indus
tries at homo; but one of the great difficulties
encountered in attempting to modify the
tariifin the interest of the people was the fact
that capital had so accumulated in these pro-
tected industries that beginners had no chance
in competition with them. Our laws refused
copyright to all who were not citizens of the
United States, but our publishers were free to
purlon the works of foreign writers and re-
print and sell them here for their own profit,
and were actually given bonus of 20 per
cent. for committing the theft. The amend
books in foreign languages only for the
benefit of scholars, was class legislation.
Mr.. Vance said that very small percentage
of the people of the United States knew any
other language than their own, and PROPOSE.
ton to tax n man because he happened &c
speak only the tongue that his mother taught
him, while permitting the man who happens
to know some other language, get his books
free, was discrimination that he could moi
favor. As to the need of American publisher:
for protection, it was well illustrated by
very valuable publication which he received
regularly from Boston, LitteWs Lirng Age
which furnished him u compilation of the
best current literature purlOined from for
eign publications. Surely the business Of
purloining other peoples property, which hat
tlourished since before the ten command
ments were thundered from Sina coult
hardly claim to be an infant industry
needing protection.
Mr. ingalls,. In the republic of letters ther
are not aliens The domain of genius has NJ
frontiers Scholars and poets, philosopher
and thinkers and men Of science belong Il
no age and TO no nation. We have been tOlC
time out of mind that without virtue and in
telligence q republic is impossible, and ye
the United States of America have the baC
pro-eminence to-day of being absolutely tn
only nation upon the face of this round worl,
that imposes n duty upon books, There is N
other people upon whom the sun shines tina
do not welcome and admit free of charge tn
productions OF the genius and the SCHOLARSHIP
of other nations, and even in our country be
fore the war, in q period probably les
enlightened than this, the only charge mad
upon foreign books was per cent. Unde
what was known as the Morrill, tariff
levied for war purposes in 1861, tho dut
was increased only 10 per cent, and yet
in the face of the progress and improvement
of this age in the face of what are claimed I
be the best interests of this republic, il is noN
insisted that this petty and contemplate dut
upon knowledge shall be increased to 20 pc
cent. and continued indefinitely for the benel
of few men who make type aud few other
who make morocco Books over twent
years old and books for the use Of libraries an
Institutions of learninga are now imported free
Why? Because they are used for the purpose
of oducation and when that is admitted th
whole principle upon which this tax stands
given away. If education is good when con
Quoted in school or college, is it not goo
when conned by the individual for himself
The theory upon which books are admitte
free Of duty is that the country is bette
for having educated men. There is a subtl
contagion about education by reason ofwhic
every man who knows more to-day than h
knew yesterday is able to confer create
benefits upon the republic, and no one ca
be elevated or ennobed or lifted out of til
low plane of his daily existence without il
creasing the moral and thesmental avordl