Omaha daily bee., 1888-03-25
Protection to Authors.

The senate committee on patents hav-
ing unanimously approved the Chase
international copyright bill, which a
few days ago was favorably reported to
the senate, there is very fair promise
that the measure will pass that body at
an early day, and thus n valuable
step be gained toward the abandonment
of the piratical policy which has long
been the shame of American publish
ers, a gross injustice to foreign authors,
and an injury to IL own writer's. The
labor of uniting American authors and
publishers in an effort to secure an in
teri ational copyright vas long and
arduous, but it was finally successful.
The American copyright league now
embraces all the authors of any
distinction in the United States and we
believe every publisher Of consequence,
including even most Of those who issue
the cheapest form of publications., and
whose support of the cause it was the
most difficult to secure.
The discussion of this question has
been going on for years, both here and
in England, and all that has been writ
ten Upon it would make a formidable Ii
brary. English authors, great and
small, have persistently denounced the
course pursued by American publishers
in pirating English books without CIV
ing any fair compensation, and in
many cases none at all, to their authors,
while the assailed publishers have
replied as best they could and
until within the past year or two in
sisted upon holding on to their privi-
lege. This influence has hitherto been
sufficient to prevent any Legislation in
congress. The better class of American
authors. however, satisfied that the alb
sence of international copyright was in
imical to their interests, united in an
earnest endeavor to convince the pub
fishers that they also were being injured
by the want of such an arrangement,
and they have haan working to this end
for several years. Circumstances have
favored their view, and thus the pub
fishers have become as ardent support
ers of international copyright as the
authors. One of the largest of
them, Mr.. Henry Holt, makes
a strong argument against the
system Of piracy as an injury to the
public in the large amount of cheap and
worthless stuff that is given it, dam
aging to publishers in encouraging a
proitless competition, and especially
inimical to American authors. AS to
the latter he says: 1.-THE overwhelming
competition of foreign stolen goods
which u laws encourage is not only a
cruelty to our authors, but is embar-
RAISING their production by driving
them into hack work, and is a deterrent,
happily not always an effective one, to
young persons of talent from entering
that profession. When they do embrace
it., their chances of attention are ma
terially INSTRUCTED. Twelve years ago
any author whom a standard
publishing house would vouch for
could be tested without any
such risk as must now be incurred. OF
late some good houses have even got
into the habit of returning unopened
all manuscripts by unknown authors"
The bill that has received the APPROX
gu VI III oOIiupC Wuo
according to the views and suggestions
of the copyright league, and though
perhaps not an ideal measure recpg-
nizes an essential principle and would
bring about a substantial reform. There
is no apparent reason why, if it pass the
senate, it should meet with any serious
opposition in the house, though perhaps
that body may be a little slow in giving
il attention. Meanwhile the authors
are not neglecting active, and
doubtless useful, labor in behalf of the
measure. A dozen or more of them
ave been in Washington during the
past week, including Howells, Eggles-
ton, Stedmap, Warner, Mark Twain
and j. Whitcomb Riley, delighting on
gressmen and others with their unique
and instructive entertainments, and
necessarily making an excellent i'm
preston.