Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-12-04

a
exceedingly vehement against certain
men of our day who would betrsy their
own race to subjugation-white apos-
tates. SCARED with the brand sinister, an
illegitimate offspring recreant TO their
kindred and lineage (; beings OF perdi-
ton, doomed to a reproach which would
darken in infamy rs the past receded IN
I'll time, grown weary OF such fell re-
membrance. should cast their miscreant
names a prey to the dumb forgetiulness
OF oblivion.
At the conclusion Of his speech Mr..
Turpie received the congratulations OF
bis Democratic colleagues, and the Sen
ate, at 3:25, adjourned.
House Of Representatives.
After the reading of the Journal the
Speaker stated the pending business to
be the further consideration Of the
copyright bill. Mr. SImonds lin charge
Of the bill stated that the friends OF the
measure we're willing to have vote
taken Immediately, but expressed a
readiness to yield any time that Its OPP
ponents might desire.
TIKI COPYRIGHT BILL.
Mr.. Springer argued that the bill
changed the tariff law in 30 far as the
importation OF books was concerned, so
that the first effort after the Mckinley
bill and after the election was to make it
more impossible 10 import articles from
abroad, Notwithstanding the statement OF
the President that such importations
were increasing.
Mr.. Peters, OF Kansas, expressed his
opposition TO the character OF the legis-
la,ion involved in the bill. 1t was III the
nature of quasi-speclal legislation, and,
as matter Of fact, was the very legisla-
tion that had been largely condemned
by the last election. The kind Of legisla-
ton the people wanted was such leglsla-
ton as reached the masses Of the people,
and such legislation was not in favor OF
any special class.
THE PROPERTY RIGHT IN BOOK PRoDUC-
TONS.
Mr.. Breckenridge, Of Kentucky. said
that it was clearly inconsistent with any
ideas of copyright to make it anything
but exclusive. The idea OF copyright
was he who owned the copyright had
the exclusive right Of sale of his book.
He who owned property had a night to
sell it according to his judgment. A
copyright was nothing but a legal title
under the statutes to the property OF
man who produced book. Being his,
he had the right to dispose of 1t. 1t
was dishonest to deprive him OF that
right.
Mr.. Oates inquired as to the clause re-
quiring the book to be printed from
type set within the United States.
THE VARIOUS INTERESTS INVOLVED.
Mr.. Breckenridge replied that all leg
islation was practical and Il matter OF
concession. The question was not
whether the remedy could be made alb
solute, but how nearly absolute 1t could
be made. There were diverse interests
involved-the interest Of the author
who furnished the brains, the interest OF
the publisher who furnished the capital,
and the interest Of the workingman who
furnished the labor. All these interests
must be combined in this bill, and all
were combined IN it. He did not be-
lieye that cheaper books could be OBJ
tanned now than could be obtained under
this bill, but even if they could this was
d matter Of justice and honesty.
AN OLD ARGUMENT.
1t was the old argument he had heard
in Kentucky when one old colored man
asked another "Sam, how's 1T you sell
your brooms cheaper than me, when |
steals de straw" "Oh, that amt
nothin', was the reply, 81 steals my
brooms ready made" Laughter He
believed that mans dollar belonged to
the man that made it, and society high
est duty was to protect that man III the
possession of his dollar, whether that
man WAS foreigner or not
lir. Kerr, of Iowa, opposed the bill,
characterizing the idea involved as some
thing intangible and referring to the
pending measure as a great tariff law.
Ii was "a law for the protection OF PRINT
ers. 1t was not "A protective tariff, but a
prohibitive tariff.
The debate lasted two hours. Other
speakers in favor of the bill were Messrs.
Farquhar and Cummings. OF New York,
and McAdoo and Butterworth.
MOTION TO RECoMAur.
Mr.. Peters, of Kansas, moved to re-
commit the bill with instructions to the
Committee on Patents to report 1t back
with an amendment limiting the life OF
copyright to fourteen years.
Mr.. Breckenridge. of Arkansas, moved
70 amend the instructions by instructing
the committee TO provide for the impor-
tation of books OF foreign authors at the
rate now provided by law. Lost-yeas,
% nays, l4O.
Mr.. Peters's motion was lost-yeas,
IS nays. l3S.
TIE BILL PASSED.