Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1890-06-26

WASHINGTON, June a, 80

w ASHINGTON, June n, 10.
The subject of international copyright
is apparently not fully understood by
many intelligent persons, and it is there
fore well that Mr.. Simonds, who sub
mitted the latest report on the subject
in the House, goes over much that has
been printed before, adding some i'm
portant new facts or at least presenting
some facts more clearly. proposition
is simply to permit foreigners to take
American copyright on the same basis as
American citizen in three cases: |.
When the nation of the foreigner permits
copyright to American citizens on sub
stantially the same basis as its own citi-
zens. 2. When the nation of the for
eigner gives to American citizens COPY
right privileges similar to those provided
for in the bill. 3. When the nation of
the foreigner is party to an international
agreement for reciprocity in copyright,
by the terms of which agreement the
United States may become party there
to at pleasure. a subsidiary but import
ant provision of the measure is that all
books copyrighted under the act shall be
printed from type set in the United
States or from plates made therefrom.
This bill is designed to give the author
the ownership of his own ideas or reas-
enable conditions pursuant to sound
national policy. In the case of all other
property, subject only to the exigencies
of the State, the owner has the protec-
ton of the law against piracy and brig
andage, Under the common law of
England and our country and according
to the statute law of enlightened nations
the written or printed word has this
necessary and righteous protection. In
the United States copyright extends to
only twenty-eight years with and extern
sion of fourteen, making forty-two years
in all. Mexico, Guatemala and Nene-
zuela have copyright in perpetuity. In
Columbia and Spain it is for the au-
thor's life and eighty years after, and in
most other countries for the life of the
author and at least thirty years after.
The verdict of the world declares for a
longer time than that granted by the
United States. The United States alone
refuse reciprocity in copyright.
~
1.-TWO cups of cold tea, with ginger ale
on the side," is common order at the
House restaurant under the reform sys-
tenn. But the simple proposition to drink
whiskeey or whiskey and ginger ale out
of piece of crockery is repulsive to anv
L u,
the habit of living like a gentleman.
Speaker Reeds order that whiskev. if
taken at all in the House restaurant.
must be taken in cup instead of glass,
appeared at first to be absolutely prohibi-
tory to men of taste. But while giving
the order the Speaker furnished to the
restaurant keeper privately an idea how
he would fix matters so that he could
conform to the order and still please his
customers-how in fact, he would use
the cup without discarding the glass.
Consequently if an order is given in the
House restaurant now for cup of cold
tea with ginger ale cup and saucer is
placed before the patron; but in the cup,
which is only demi-tasse size, there is a
neat little glass, the lower half Of which
is concealed within the cup, while the
upper half is visible above it. What is
within the glass in not expected to APP
pear above the crockery line, so that the
eye OF the casual passers-by are not Of
Tended by the sight of the abhorent
liquid. The man who wants it gets what
he wants, and the man who doesn't want
it doesn't see it.
*x*
The Republican leaders in Congress