National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-03-15

papers in Chicago which pay largo sums for
news telegraphed to them by the Associated
Press and by therspecial correspondents. Now
lot us say there are other papers in Chicago
which obtain early copies of the
New York papers, and transmit from New
York for the mere cost of telographing what
has cost those other papers large sums in
obtaining from original sources That is
undoubtedly, stealing the property ofanothcr.
Now, senator, allow me to ask you question.
How many papers arc there published in
Tcrre Haute2
Mr.. VOORHEES,. We have three dailies-one
one morning and two afternoon papers.
VIZ Watterson. What is the time between
indianapolis and Terra Haute?
Mr.. Voorhees,. Call 1t two and half hours
Mr.. Watterson. You could not got an In
dianapolis paper into Terra Haute office in
less than three hours, could you?
Mr.. Voorhees,. They get there at 1880 a. m.
Mr.. Watterson. Is there u newspaper pub
lished in Terra Haute between 10 and 12
o'clock
Mr.. Voorhees,. No, sir.
MIR. Watterson. Well, then, as the copy
right of the indianapolis papers expires at II
or IL o'clock, according as the hour of going
TO press may be- this bill puts no practical
obstruction upon tue use oil their contents IN
Terra llautc.
Mr.. Voorhees, No; the indianapolis morn
ing papers are struck of about $3.50 or 4 in
the morning, The afternoon papers come out
about 4 o'clock.
Mr.. wattersoD. That illustrates it fairly.
took Terra Haute as very good example,
because it is close to a city using large part
of the Associated Press matter
Representative Singleton. You say news
paper goes to press at 3 o'clock. What time
do they issue?
Mr.. Wattcrson. An early copy of news
paper may be bought or stolen five minutes
after going TO press.
Bir. Singleton. Suppose paper at Vicks-
burg or New Orleans comes out, say at s
o'clock, would not the correspondent OF that
paper be prevented from tcographing that
news, or would it not operate to that extent
Mr.. Watterson. Let us take an illustration.
publishes paper at Nicksburg, and pays
for the Associated Press matter, or for that of
any other association. Is 'blishes news
paper, and does not pay CeIt to anybody for
his news. Now, should this
hr. Singleton Nnterrupting). l am not
speaking of the justice of tho matter. Would
it not prevent the papers publishing at or s
o'clock"
Mr.. Wattorson. Very few, if any, daily
newspapers are published as late as that.
They usually go TO press at Nicksburg at
o'clock. That is or o'clock in Now York.
The difference in time would enable a
newspaper in Nicksburg which proposed to
live by piracy to steal and publish its matter
for the mere cost of telegraphing and type
setting. 1t is precisely the point at which
this bill is aimed. 1t would affect no news
paper which didn't propose to obtain its mat
ter by robbery. 1t could not possibly affect
newspaper paying for its news.
Mr.. Singleton. Who do you understand
by tho constitution is entitled to take out a
copyright2 Is it the author or the man who
purchases from the authorp
Mr.. WatteIson. At tho suggestion Of the
chairman Of the committee ! struck out O
section of this bill narratng aud specifying
the mode and persons who should take out
copyright. Senator Sherman thought it
put an additional duty upon the librarian of
congress and upon the United States courts,
which were specified in the section. l sup
pose that the publisher, who is or who repre-
sents the owner of the newspaper, is tho per-
son entitled to protection.
Representative Woodward. As defendant or
plaintiff?
Mr.. Watterson. As plaintiff
A colloquy ensued as to the constitutional
power Of congress TO grant a copyright to any
person other than an author or inventor.
Tho law was read and was found to give this
right to "pIoprietors" in express terms.
Librarian spofford, who was present, re-
marked that about two-thirds of the copy
sights issued are to proprietors.
4 suggestion was made by Senator Hoar
th'. the measure required amendment so as to
designate the person in whose name this
rri.t should vest.
.Ir Wattorson said that any form which
would secure the ends proposed would be ac-
epInhlc.
Mr.. Voorhees, COL watterson, do you think
there is sufficient abuse that is, grave enough
abuseto call for this legislation?"
Mr.. Watterson. Yes sir; think that the
increased facilities for newspaper reproduc-
tion give very great temptation for the use OF
pirated matter. In my opinion this species
of robbery is decidedly on the increase. Con-
tinuing Mr.. Watterson said: II cannot see
why the congress of the United States should
refuse its recognition Of n new class Of prop
erty which podern inyentions-the
telegraph, the telephone, and the
railroads-have brought into being"
Senator Hoar asked why the purpose of
the promoter of the bill could not be accom-
plished by providing simply that the present
copyright law should extend for eight hours
to all daily and weekly newspapers, without
filing copy of the publication with the
Librarian of congress-
Mr.. Watterson said the object was to pre-
vent concurrent publication, and whatever
would best accomplish that would be accept
able
Representative Nutting called Mr.. Waiter
sons attention to the assertion often made
that the purchaser of a newspaper becomes
the absolute owner Of its contents, and asked
him what he thought of it.
He replied: THE purchaser OF a copy Of a
newspaper has morally no more right to re.
produce its contents for concurrent sale than
tne purchaser OF DOOk HAS lHe IlBnt u
reproduce and sell it. In both cases the
buyer procures the copy for his own private
use, not for multiplication ana sale in com
petition with the original publication. The
fact that the book is protected by law, and
the newspaper is not, furnishes a I ason fol
the enactment of this BILL"
In conclusion, Mr.. Watterson said the bill
under consideration did not affect what art
called "the country newspapers" one iota
There was, he said, no suppOsable condition
in which, us u practical question, they coulC
be affected by il. He had ransacked hi
imagination unsuccesstully for some conceiva
BILE way in which an infringement of tb'
proposed bill could be of benefit to tn,
country press. Nor did it affect the after
noon papers. The misapprehension in the
public mind had grown out Of the orgina
suggestion that the protection should cove
period of ftwenty -four or forty-eight hours
which suggestion was inconsiderate and un
tenable.
The Vacant Russian Mission.
The friends of ex-senator Ferry in thi
city claim that he now stands first in tn
matter of the vacant Russian mission, 1t i
expected that the vacancy will be illle