New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-01-30


and Mr. Saxton has expressed his willingness
to have the bill amended so that a stamp shall
be substituted for the Inspectors initials. 1t
| Is to be assumed that the foes of the bill will
raise a cloud Of objections to it. Possibly they
will make valid point or two against 1t. But
let its friends stand fast, amend it where it
NAV be found to need amendment, and then
promptly pass it. 1t is in no sense party
measure. II the Democrats Of the Legislature
under the leadership Of Governor Hill decide
to make it one, so much the worse for them.
------H---
EEW. YORK As A LITERARY CENTRE.
We commend to the reading of members Of
the House Of Representatives the letter upon
international Copyright which we repubhsh
on another page from The London Times"
The writer is an English author, and u.s. evil
IDENTIFY, from the prominence given to the letter
by that paper, a man Of some consequence His
argument is, In brief, that the American pub
fishers have discovered that piracy no longer
paws, and have therefore contrived an Interna-
tional Copyright bill, which will make New
York the literary centre of the English-speak-
| ing world. The requirement. that all foreign
books TO secure copyright must be set up in
this country will result in transferring the
business Of publishing English books to the
| United States, because the American market
will be infinitely more valuable than the Eng
lish. The Americans number moro than co.
| 600, 600, and are nation of book-buyers; the
| people Of Great Britain number 35, 1000
and are book borrowers through the circulating
Libraries Not only will books be published in
New York rather than in London, but they will
| be written 10 suit the American rather than the
English market.
There are two ways OF interpreting this novel
utterance. One is that the writer is seriously
alarmed for the future literary re-eminence
Of England the other that he is endeavoring
by subtle appeal to American vanity TO help
the passage Of the bill. Whatever his motives
may have been, his letter contains large pro
portion of truth. II needs little argument TO
show that New York will one day be the liter
airy centre Of tho English-speadng world, and
whether the English author really believed it
or not, the passage of the Copyright bill would
probably have an important influence in hasten7
ing that contamination. The present House
Of Representatives has IL in it's power to confer
great benefit upon American letters. and by
necessary consequence, upon all branches Of
the boolrmaldng industry in this country, by
giving one hour Of its time 10 tho passage Of
this bill.
New York, by reason Of it's position as the
chief city Of America, viii in time become tho
literary centre OF the English speaking race
with or without international Copyright. This
shifting Of intellectual dominion will come
moro swiftly, and moro honCgably, with In
ternational Copyright, than without but it's
coming is inevitable. The world has never be-
held such a spectacle of naion.building as that
in progress in the United States to-day. 1t is
already numerically one Of the largest of civil
lied nations, ii is in the expanse Of its terri
tory. At the same time, it is homogeneous to
degree not to be seen in any other nation,
great or small. In the high average of it's in
telligence in the universal facilities afforded
for education, in the instantaneous transmits
sion Of ideas throughout the whole mass by
means Of the press, in its quick absorption and
AUGMENTATION Of foreign elements, the United
States may well excite the wonder Of the world
and we have daily evidence that the eyes OF
thoughtful observers In other lands turn TO II
more and moro with profound interest and
perhaps with some feeling Of awe. And II
must be remembered that this swift growth
carries the English language with 1t every
where. II is not an exaggeration to say that
all other languages melt away before the Eng
ish. The first ambition of foreigners who
come here TO live is that they and their chill
dren shall learn our tongue. The exceptions
TO this rule are too tIifling, in proportion tC
10 considered. We have now in the United
States an English-speaking population nearly
double that Of Great Britain. What will 1t be-
fifty years century, hence2 The imagina-
ton falters in the effort TO conceive IL. Here
is the future homo Of the English race. Here
will be the abiding place of gigantic nation
presenting homogeneity of language, customs
intelligence and high civilization, such as The
poets and philosophers have never dared h
dream Of. To maintain that New-York viii
then DO the literary centre Of the English
, speaking race requires no courage whatever
it would be hardihood to doubt it.
| This may seem long cry from the Interna
tional Copyright bill, but it is not so far as Il
seems. The passage Of the bill would moi
make New York Immediately the literar,
centre of England, but it would at least max,
, it the literary centre Of Ameica-which if il
, not altogether now. The flood Of worthless
fiction from London would cease. Such book
as were worth having we would get at mod
, crate prices. The many other advantages /
, would secure need not be recapitulated now
, Let Congress pass the bill.
, -
, Mr.. Slavery, the chairman OF the Prison Com
mittee Of the Assembly, very naturally desires q