National Republican., 1883-02-15

would vote for Mr.. Bayard's proposition If he
could not get anything better.
MIR. Morrill, asked Mr.. Ingalls, whether he
really believed that there would be more
books available for general use If tho duty
were removed and this country left
wholly dependent for its literature upon
foreign nations. AZ present there was hardly
city in the United States that did not now
do some of this business, and there could be
no doubt that to make books free would
destroy these publishers and throw thousands
Of men out Of employment. AS to the ques-
tion of copyright, whatever fault existed in
connection with It was tho fault of congress
not of the publishers While congress failed
to pass a reasonable copyright law, the pub
fishing business was Of course lawfully open
to everybody.
The question at issue was really the ques-
tion whether We should continue to have an
American literature in this country.
Mr. Bayard having modified his amend
ment so as to make the words he proposed to
insert read, "Wholly or in part in the
English language" Mr.. Logan suggested that
tho amendment in this form would hold out
n temptation TO fraud.
Mr.. Vest concurred heartily in tho views
expressed by Mr.. ingalls,. Books, the instru-
montalitos of intellect, should be free, es-
pecially in country whose government was
based upon the intelligence of the people, and
where ignorance was n vico whose general
prevalence would destroy FREQ institutions.
| Mr.. Hoar saw great forco in tho views pre-
sentcd by Mr.. Ingalls,, but thought it was not
directed to the practical question before the
senate. That question was, viii you pass
law which dscrminates against the Ameri-
can author the American scholar2" A small
duty on books 90 or 25 per cent, was the log
| ical and inevitable sequence of the other pro-
visions of tho tariff. The view Of the senator
| from Kansas Ungalls) would be correct under
| n system of free trade but was not in harmony
with protection. This duty was asked simply
TO prevent tho other provisions of the tariff
from handicapping the American author and
| the American publisher; and If books were to
| be admitted free, tho senate ought to go back
and take Off the duty from paper and leather
and typo and instead of attempting to keep
up the price of American labor, adopt policy
which would bring IL down.
Mr.. Maxey expected that tho slight con-
cession made in committee of the whole in
relation to the duty on books would meet the
! fate of all the other concessions in favor OF
the interests of the people. Tho senator from
Kansas (Mr. 1ngalls) had stated that ours was
the only country that levied duty upon
books. If book publishing could flourish as
! it did in other lands without protection, why
not here as wellp
Mr. Salisbury would vote for the amend
ment made in the committee of the whole
without fear that it would interfere with
American authors and publishers but even If
its effect should be to limit, to some extent
the production of books no did not know that
that would be prejudicial to the best interests
Of the country, because q great many books
were published that ought not to be. On the
other hand many foreign valuable books
which were required by professional men
here had to be imported, and there ought tc
be no tax in the way.
Mr.. Morrill, said that Mr.. Ingalls's statement
that this was the only country that laid q
duty on books was incorrect. Such duties
were levied by France, Italy, the Argentine
Republic, and Canada. The paragraph wa'
amended as proposed by Mr.. Bayard, so as t
restrict the duty to "books, pamphlets, bounC
or unbound, and all printed matter wholly o.
partly in the English language" The amend
ment was made by tho following vote: Aye
30, noes 81.
A long and confused discussion hore tool
place in respect to the proper parliamentar,
manner of proceedings, which led Mr. Ingall
TO remark that this book question was becom
ing as complicated as the sugar schedule yes
terday.
The committee Of the whole having reduced
tho rate of duty on books from 20 to 10 pc
cent. ad valorem before it struck the paragraph
from the bill, Mr.. Morrill, (after the par
liamentary question had been settled) move'
to strike out 10 and restore the original rate
20 per cent. ad valorem. The vote upon thi
motion was as follows: ''