New-York tribune., 1886-01-29
DIR. CROSBY SPEAKS FOR THE LEAGUE.
SENATOR HAwLEY's VIEWS CHANGED - MARK
TWAIN DEFENDS THE "PlRATEs.'
TLLEGEArLI TEIRUNE.

those present the Rev. Dr. Howard Crosby, :. L.
Clemens MARX Twain, Horace E. scudder Henry Holt,
A. G. sedgwck and r. W. Glider. members of the Amer.
lean Copyright League The House Committee OH the
Judiciary which has jurisdiction Of the subject of Inter
national Copyright in the House, was represented by
Messrs RanneY. Taylor of Ohio Oates and Caswel Mr.
sedgwck president of the American Copyright League,
introduced the Rev. DR.. Howard Crosby, who said
Mr. CHAIRMAN AND GENTLEMEN OF THE COMMITTEE:
The main points that would insist upon III bringing
the subject before your committee are first that II Is
other point is that It is for the true interest OF our Amer
lean people. ltsimpOrtaut that We should exactly see
right League has sent an executive committee OF its
counsel to appear before you to-day to adyoGniG e p
number l9l, known "a Senator Uawlcy'S Dlll anu 10
that alone shall conns ourselves The bill does NOT
that his own country gives him Some mistake main
point OF the bill and suppose that s It's oDect. l.at
would be an injustice Suppose the foreign author-the
English author for eXampe-could be allowed one nun
dred years for his copyright to run and We allow ohy
for two years 1t would be manesy unjust for us 10
allow the foreign author here In America to have such
decided advantage our own authors The object Oh
author the same rights that his own country
Sys m . that tive TO gEe e mcPcaE g eahor here
think that should be clearly understood We wish the
same platform here provided the foreign nations act IN
like manner with ourselves. Another loinI WOLF WOLF
make is this that the subject Is TO be entirely separated
free trade 1t has really nothing @ vor today are
some Of us in politics free traders, othetS ol US
strong protectonist SO that shows that the subject OF
free trade and protection has nothing whatever 10 90
with our claims Protection is stopping certain arti-
Gle Of goods but the noncopyright system which VIC
NOW have in onr country Is not simply stopping the
goods but after stopping them, Selling them ourselves
there is no connection all between the two subjects
We hold that present as our ysem Is we are uoing
direct manifest Injustice simply to the foreign auhor
a member of the human family. but the Ahefcan ian
author as OF our fellow citizens. lie publishes MS
book United states aud expects to reap respect
able benefit from It. He crosses the ST. Lawrence anu
finds bis issued there at price that ruins his OK
pectations The American anthor himself therefore,
s subject 10 the grosSest injustice as Wo as 'no @
liberal in their copyright matter than we are In the
argument which IL placed before you "a pam ssue, @
nv the League IN support OF the Hawlcy bh you VIII
, the details TO that effect We are behind the civil
lied nations of the earth in this matter OF COPYRIGHT
Another pont that desire To make is that not only
the American author, but the American puolsher W9u
be benefited by such law for whatever ne niTn' ] ,o
in the dI econ OF foreign work he certainly VIII Horo
up by tho increase OF American auIno.Snp; p
by the much larger proportion Of American works ana
hence many OF most prominent publishers Teoog1v %
the eminent proprety of this most Just law on Will VIII
nnd gentlemen, the document that Is pht INTO your
hands the statements of many of our leading puoSnetS
that ali the proper protection which our manufacturers
need will be continued by our regular lariu iIs'1"nS
The e1penses now OF packing freight and contingent eA
ncnses are per cent which. added to the - per cent
OF tariff makes the protection now 40 per cent 90 M as
this will continue. the American mannih:t1rer- WI r p
abuudantly protected II this law DC enacted NY ong
Srief H and only touch these main polnts--is that
understand the copyright as we hnid IL aa uG
sire TO see II in this country Is no monopoly Wn''cNt
The difference between the property rlGht Whch coz
right is, and monopoly Is immense ifCFCI iioh % r. bnt
monopoly is the power TO prevent "huluer 7
haT there is nothing like monopoly in this demand that
there is no connection in 1t between tho great aTuS
subjects OF free rade aud that Is based
on common Justice and will accrue to the Ochtu OF 'nc
American people. ~
the basis of discussion said that he had presented the
hill At the instance OF the Copyright Lcarne, ard that
more thorough exam nation OF the subject had Ted him
IN the conclusion that IL should contain provision re
qniring that foreign works copyrighted IN the umcl
states should he printed and manufacture IN TINS cou
try for the American marker.
Mr. scIswic thought that to encumb'r tho subject o
international copyright with the tariff question was to
confuse the issue II Americans TO protect Ameri
can workinguen ~ means OF "A copyright LAW Why ho'
also protect American readers and the pirate lupei'
who supply them with such reading.
Senator Hawley thought 1t hardly fair to apply the
term "pirato 10 VINO are engaged IN an ocon
nation which is legitimate tho laws now stand Many
American pubsEcrs without being legally bound TO de
so have voluntarily paid royalties TO foreign authors
Mr. Clemens was called on 20 speak, but seemed I'M
willing to do because he vas not III accord WIN o'e
members OF the League who were present. Upon D'h-
rgod ia 20 on he said that had told members OF the
Ieaguc that he disagreed with them upon the u
ley bill. lie had come to the CONCLUSION
which General Hawlcy had just given t'
,he committee The persons who wcfo calico
piratcs for whom General Hawlcy had properly said
kind word pirates by coliusion Of the United states
/ Government which made them pirates and thieves.
Congress, If anybody, wa' to blame Tor thclr "ctoh
There was dishonesty Oh their part ana lhey hiu nc
ou red vested rights which the Haw!ey bl IN it'orSl
nal form would undertake destroy lie wanted bill
which would do no harm to any one The authors were
really less concerned pccunariiy IN copy
right law than the printers. publishers
b,nters and so on For that reason he agreed Will
General Hawley that clause shoHd lie inserted which
would require foreigners books when copyrighted
here TO be prn, cd this soil. Mr. Clemens said tha
] 1,,,r
game rights in England the English author and ncec
not publish his book there unless e obtained hs price
Henry Holt spoke for the Amer
can publisher The "couitesy contract
SYSTEM he said, until few ago, became 81 genera
as ,irtp,ly TO amount to an international Copyright
The rheap publishers had now destroyed tba system
and lac Gooing the market with all sorts OF trash were
doing GREAT injury He SAID that colossal margins nae
TO be exactod secure publisher from loss i
prnting good ;ores book. Not more thAh one III N'
uaid profit. the nth having to make up lhe .oss on m
other four. An American ms now 20 iIce tl' % ~ M
oi substantially AL the European anth0rsnot ony mos
worth rcprinting. but virtually Of all Ecsc cheap lO
sInr. Nd cone back generations and taken auihor'
who were not III the market SIMPLY l"r l' sah' Va h
sci only about one-thrd many books IA iormcl
Now IL might be asked If foreign book c"uid be No'I
,rGtay Tor 30 cents why not ssne an American bo"h
ior 20 cents The answer was that the foreign hoos
paid no royalty. But why not make the Aherchh Door
such IA book could be no adequate compensation W u,e
American author LrsSenlnS ne pre- , "o sale ,ronor
tionatcly. Then the percentage OF foyaity wnS isT %
Thn average royalty book which soli I"i"H" olh
WIS ten cents. but that on II twenty cent Door va
moi .wo cents; it only one cent 20 t'
knife stuck III ana ~ c"t 'u p'u' 40, '' .,'..
rooks were not universally bought 10y POhe VINO rc'o
ther If publishers Dependent upon rc'uht poo'
cor they Wuu starYr. Books were p"hSh1 ~
nroule who fancy books. They bought lh'GIIhg, ~
rad perhaps lho public taste had Dceh deD"ueIeI
aud works OF value upon which our CIVILIZATION dohucu
xrrc less sought after. The speaker had unused manu-
scrlus I'm his safe which ought 10 be pubscu pu h'
afraid 10 under AXE It, He lateIy published the
most important American work Of nct9n Il" hdu c'o
hroncbt ant The critics received 1t with chorus o
,raife vet he had TO tell the hnlhoi
+. iho other day that 1t was a complete failure
NJ Clemens described the processes oi 0btiihlhS
rnolish copyrghi. lie had for years received aIgt
,nvaity I'm Ingaudthan IN America. The ROYALTY puo
a. 'En:3laud ON General Grants book ~, he Hhid, tI'
arcsst paid on book III any country III any age 0l .'
world and the royalties paid III Germany ana 'anc'
a