Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-02-06
some Trenchant sentences

The Century for February publishes let
tiers from forty-two American authors on
the international copyright question. From
among these the RECORD UNION selects the
following vigorous and trenchant sentences
as fine examples of literary indignation
James Russell Lowell breaks out in
verse:
In vain we call old notions fudge
And bend our conscience to our dealing;
The ten commandments will not bulge.
And stealing lcN continue stealing
Lyman Abbott-The writer of a book
should have the same protection as the in
ventor of a machine.
t. b. Aldrich-It is so shameful (absenca
of copyright) that / don't care to discuss it.
President Barnard-The spectacle is dis
creditable in the eyes of the world.
H. II. Boyesen-My experience has
made me feel the injustice of the present
state of affairs most keenly.
Mrs. Burnett-The right to control and
protect the product of ones brain cannot
be questioned.
G. w. Cable-Shall we buy or steal the
foreigners goods? That is the question.
George William Curtis-Cheap books are
good things, but cheapening the public
conscience is very bad thing Authors
ask nothing which the public conscience
does not approve.
Edward Eggleston-Jews in Russia and
writers in America are alike excluded from
the equality before the law accorded to
other classes.
national copyright should be speedily
agreed upon.
Colonel Higginson-The harm done to
authors under the present system is a very
serious thing.
George Parsons Lathrop-Of all existing
brutalities, of all legislative crudities, of all
cruelties inflicted by civilized people
upon a particular class of all contemplate
thefts known to mankind, the meanest,
the lowest. the pettiest, the most debased
and despicable, is the brutality, the cruelty,
the. theft, practiced against authors by the
United States of America.
Chas. G. Leland-The arguments against
copyright to foreign authors. when not dis
graceful in dishonesty, are simply silly in
their sophistry.
Brander Matthews-Absence of inter
national copyright legislation unfairly
forces on the American author a competi-
ton with stolen goods.
Bill Nye-The only safe way, in order TO
remain a native, will be to refrain from
learning 10 read. 1t is q question whether
we shall or shall not become not only a
nation of foreigners, but universe of for
eigners.
James Parton-The United States alone
among the nations of Christendom refuses
to protect the rights of its authors in other
lands.
Elizabeth Stuart Phelps-There can be
but two opinions, and they cannot be I'M
like those OF the burglar and burglaree
Bishop Potter-It ought to appeal to
every chiyalric sentiment in those who are
not men of letters, that there is large and
valuable class Of their fellow citizens in
adequately protected in their plain rights
by the law.
e. p. Roe-The unblushing robbery of
authors among civilized nations is one of
the most amazing relics of barbarism
J. T. Trowbridge-The facility with
which a thing may be stolen is no valid
excuse for the theft
Mark Twain-We do get cheap books by
absence of international copyright; 3 =
but they are the costliest purchase that ever
a nation made.
j. G. Whittier-Just and fair dealing de-
mand it. The measure commends itself
TO every man who is honest enough to keep
his hands out of his neighbours pocket.