New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-01-09
DIR. VAN DYKE ON LITERARY PIRACY.
INTERNATIONAL COPYRIGHT AND MORALS.
THE NATIONS PUNrsaxEsrs FOR ITS CRIMINAL


THE NATIONS PUNIsaMESrs FOR IT'S CRIMINAL
PRACTICES.
"Let him that stole steal more"
Render therefore 70 ali their dues. tribute TO whom
tribes T. due custom TO whom :, n c custom n,
"walk honestly toward them that without"
The Rev. Dr. Henry Van Dyke took for his text
neither Of the quoted above in preaching on the
moral aspects Of tho International Copyright questo"
at the Brick Presbyterian Church, at Fffth-a and
Thirty scventhst yesterday morning. but these were
given few of the texts that stuck 70 his fingers
he turned his Bible applicable to the question:
in the light Of which he begged his congregation to
consider their duty Every passage in the Bible which
prohibited theft and ncucatcd national righteousness
he regarded having direct bearing on the American
sin of stealing other peoples books.
NATIONS ACCOUNTABLE TO GOD.
He founded his sermon tho text righteous
ness exalteth a nation; but sin Is rcproach to any
people. proverbs, XIV, "a He said in substance
The central idea OF the text is the moral accounta-
bilIty of nations. Men responsible for their con
duct collectively well for their individual acts
Laws and customs to be tried by ethical standards
by what Is right. not by what is expedent. Tho Bible
has little to say about political economy but much
about Righteousness and God judges nations by this
and deals with them along the memorable lines Of right
and wrong The experience Of Egypt, Babylon,
Nincveh. samaria and Jerusalem show how prosperity
and decay follow national righteousness the lack OF
1t. 1t is eternal truth that corporate Righteousness
and corporate sir not legal ictions but realities
The legitimate conclusions drawn from all theories OF
government bring inevitably face to face with
moral law, whether 1t be the theory of Divine right
that of social compact that Of natural rights The
course of modern history In so far as It is one OF
progress is the result Of the application Of moral ideas
TO national life. The advance OF civilization is not
evidenced by material pros perity-a cruel brutal sci
fish might possess all ths-but By the moral con
ditions.
WANTED, A RULER, NOT AN q" OLIVE BRANCH
The number OF persons engaged in an action does
not change its moral quality. Public robbery Is only
private theft multiplied 1t Is necessary to be re
minded of this that the question is agitated OF
giving all the fruit of the labor OF their brains
Hitherto the question has been treated one OF poll
ties or of International courtesy but now that IL is
seen to come close the Ten Commandments, II be
comes a proper subject for discussion In the pulpit
| What is wanted Is not " olive branch'-which Is
| usually crooked-but a straight ruler by which 10
measure our honesty II the church should decline
to take up the question: It would imply disegaru o.
law incompetence to apply 1t to the auars u
life. It,, ,,. 4, ,
recognized principle OF social morality. No mans
dinner may be carried of by mob on us way 10 ms
homo from the bakery t TN bs a maid has not also
the man who IT This national moral snse has
taken form In the existing patent and copyrlgh, I
The making OF books requires more time ana resui's
in more wear and tear than almost any other mna Oh
toll The form In which an authors ideas are pu, u
az much his as the statues from the sculptors chsei
are HE The writer whose books charm, instruct and
hop you-are you not as much lndeoted 10 MIN as W
the painter who decorates your housef
AMERICA ALONE IN INFAMY.
II f. tbc astounding Supplying fact that Nation
s the only one that declares that the literary property
Of an alien shall be forfeited and conscaed as soon as
1t comes TO shores That means that the foreigner
is stu regarded as hostsr-an enemy. which is the
theory under which piracy on the high seas became
profitable calling in oden times but Of which Ameri-
can literary piracy Is the only relic existing among
civilized nations. The other property of foreigners
Is safe among us, but their books brought here
against their will and protest for the express purpose
Of being stolen. American authors are selected TO
erary 'T pracv IS an nrngemsn Of Thou shalt not
steal' as we'll as q" Thou shalt not covet.'
THE NATION PUNIsHED.
One form of the National punishment for this sin
IS the corruption of National thought and manners
through the food of foreign books. Nlnetenths Of
them are novels many OF them Of doubtful character,
full Of false ideas OF llfe and tnged with English
fcudasm. They decline of the National spirit
and produce that siman imitation of English ways
for the male practser of which alone name has been
found II would be loss II such books cost twenty
times what they do. 800
Another punishment IS the decline OF National liter
ature and Cannot hope for its restoration until We
give American writer's such protection as other labor
ers get against unpaid competition. For such liter
aure and Its effect on the de'tnes OF our country we
have waited a century and our still deferred hopes
are among the consequences of sin We are snfter
Ing also from weakening Of the National conscience
The effect on the moral sense OF the Nation IS like
that your boy of your telling him. II Is sin 10
stea pin. but not sin to steal book from an Eng
Iishman. OF the two kinds OF moral evil know not
which is the danFprons-fhdt which is fiagrant
and open and DESTROYS by catastrophe or that which
IS insidouS and DESTROYS by decay. ,
YOn and have part I'm curing this National q u
which has surely weakened and may DESTROY the pnbc
cnnscence Prsncctabc AmprIcan publishers and an
tbors arc now rnIipd in their efforts. The only thing
I'm the wav OF their scrcss is the arathv Of men le
Won and me- The ruhlic consctNrce must he nuick-
ened and formulated into law. We mnst bring all law
as we'll "a all conduct into harmonv with the law OF
Cod Then shall sre the dawning of brighter era
in tho history of the world.
Among those who listened to Dr.. Van Dyfe wore
Richard Watson Glider and r. NJ. Johnson. Of " Tho
Century: Georges Walton Green, secretary OF the
American Copyright Tearne: John Elderh!n, John T.
Parsons and W. H. Parsons.