Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-08-04
- IN II - -.

who have como in possession Of the facts
ae hc under lands Thorn. give color 10 the
from Dis publishers through an uuiortu
uafc misunderstanding, perhaps hav,
neither eQuallo1 ms cXpcctat. ous nor tho
amount 80 which be i- really entitled bl
tho terms Of the contract between Mr.
DAY is and the Mo-7rs. %. Appleton & Co.
without going into great part .cularity Of
detail The alleged facts i'm tietasc or what
Is understood to Doc the facts. so far as they
relate ~ hir. Da,is's intcres t and RIGHTS M
the maftor-may Doc briefly presented.
IN 1874 ID. Appleton a. Go. communicated
with Mr. Davis. desiring him 10 write foi
them q history of the war Of the rebellion
including ns much as possible Of his own
life and particularly covering his councc-
tDn with the Confederate Government.
After some correspondence Mr. Davis con-
scented 10 undertake the preparation OF
suoh % work. Major W0lthall an cK-ofiicer
az tho Confederate army and q personal
friend oi Mr.. DAVIS was empowered boy The
latter % represent him M The arranging
details OF contract with the publishers,
and also t0 obtain copies Of Official do.u-
Welts aud similar material Ter the use of
Mr. DAVIS IN the preparation of the manu-
script.
TIErE CONTRACTS.
For such service. under the contract.
months WAS % receive a salary of $50
with an allowance of $50 % month for ok
prnsos IFS total compensation Of S2.4O0
WAS 20 ho advanced by he publ hers. and
VIZ SID advanced, to Doe deducted from the
amount PAYABLE 90 Nm. Davis
Then. H. is stated. two Subsequent con
tracts were made hy Tie publishers with
Major Wa|thall for continuance of his
services. lu procuring material and veri~
ffu" fho accuracy of Mr.. bavis's manu-
script lu parts containing official records.
The two supplementary contracts with
Major Nalihull. covering period Of
fourteen months, wore without tire 1V-
th0rity or authorization of Nr. Davis. 1T
~ cNprn Of ~tlJ 70 month. hut without
the previous allowance Of $50 q month for
expense. The oros. amount of money paid
Major Wallhall hy the Applctous accord
lnr 20 their two hitter contracts, alt lough
unctiled for iu the contract between Mr..
Davis and his publishers. was also charged
against the account a. Mr.. Davis I'm ad
duon 90 Those charges for the services @
Major Walthall. ID. Appleton y Go. charge
Mr.. Davis iuterr ai q per cent. ON n
money advanced Iu the procuring of M
teriu and youhcatiou of documents az /
records.
ADDITIONAL CLAIMS
In the controversy now going on 'e-
tween Mr.. Davis and his publishes as TO
is not acknowledged 10 stu more M
portant and vcrl much larger amount is
alleged 90 zoe involved. The contract hc-
tween Mr. Davis aud D. Appleton n Co.
calls for q payment of % royalty Of 50 10
the author ON each set sold az the worI, in
two volumes, bound in CLOTH" the au-
thor retain ~ the copyright. simply om-
powes1nr de publisher, 20 issue his work
IN cloth % at the stipulated salary.
The statement is made that Alr. Davis
has only received returns for about 81 600
sets. bound IN cloth.' a4etated in express
terms iu tho contract. while, I'm addition
10 the SETS iu cloth. r. stu larger number
81 sot4 have been sold iu the more cXpcn-
elyp bindings $40 SD S1f. aud $40 per set
respectively, for which noreturu has been
updr to the author. for the reason that the
contract only called for a royalty ON sets
bound iu ci0thl'
A, long ego as 1879 or 1880 Mr. Davis
called the ptir.tti1u of ms publishers TO
the fact hal Doe Thought Zee was not, owing
o. some inpdvertency or mistake, receiving
statements fully covering the sales on
lated royalty
COURTEOUS But FIRM
According e. settlements made and be-
licvcd here from that time 90 the present
Mr. Davis has been unable to receive "a
satisfactory accounting, or thc correspond
lurly satisfactory Temlttnnc,~. From the
wears mentioned. at varying intervals, the
correspondence has been continued On
Tins correspondence Mr.. Davis has simply
asked for Justice hat his publishers
should treat him as they would desire
themsclvoe 10 he treated were the posi-
tous OF author and puhh0ncr reversed.
tie has argued chat hc Was AN old man ana
feeble, that bee was unable To- endure
the fttiru.- and aunOVanccs which would
bee involved ln such % u1p a7 W"uI"
enable him 60 have personal interview
with them in New lorN' On iis paI' inc
currtsp 1ndenre lAS ierh erhNein'nN ehd
denihri. ant "iIt once III IL NN1' mus NE
sense of injustice ui Whlch ne l~ l7 hiuls,il
10 ho the Nlrum icd Nun INTO an eAhlnl-
ton Of strong irrllus. lh inns MS tn'e ne
simply ~ul"cstcd That there might ne Am
idea on the part of his publishers that II
would bee impossible IDr IN" Wch TRAITOR
of the war OF the rebellion % obtain or
expect Justice ln thc North. ON the other
hand, t is alleged That while the CORE
spoudcnce on Che part at the publishers
has been equally courteous, IT has been
their apparent policy 90 siuhously IGNORE
the vital claims at issue. SO far as 1t was
possible to do 500.
,,rn,,1.'s ct..rg
- has nc'h aSsoIlcu l."l - Ail'l' y. NJ.
81 t'.n ~ t,, Cn.f.1 80 Gl,,.rrr,ert ;,
iu She moro expensive bindings than in
cloth. and that for the former the author
has received no returns whatever.
Thus. while Mr.. Davis claims ne has SO
far received some thousands OF dollars less
than his due ON the returns of sales of sets
bound in cloth. OWN 90 the account of
Major Malthall sull dispute, there should
Dc still larger sum placed % the credit OF
Mr.. Davis for sales made ia other and more
expensive hindingS,
New / orh publisher IL quoted as say
in: " The actual cost To produce each set
az Mr. paYls's book is not more than ~ to
the publishers; 30, aiter oeducung me
cost ami ROYALTY OF 81 thcro ""ul! sun
remain in' h,hl prom "i on each soi
bouad IN cloth. Tine additional actual
cost Tor the more expensive bindines rs
hardly more than % To oO cents Tor each
set thus LARGELY lncfcasinS the ,H.n9imNm
net pr9nt OF - per set' am lolu wa. lhe
Is al "A