New-York tribune., 1890-05-20
MR.. LOWELL ;ANb THE COPIRIGHT Law
THE INVISIBLE AND IMPALPABLE RIGHT in


Washington. May 10 (speciaD.-" Kate Fields Wash
inrtonn for the present week will contain letters by
oliver Wendell Holmes and James Russell Lowell on
the defeat OF the Copyright bill. In his letter DR..
Holmes says among other things:
have nothing to add to my recorded opinion Of the
dishonesty Of stealing the products of the labor OF e
softhanded sons of toll cannot see that callous Oh
the palm confers any claim fair treatment than
iurrow in the forehead and an aching brar
Mr. Lowell says:
1 have had long experience OF the providentia
thickness Of the human skull well as OF the eventual
success Of all reasonable reforms discouraged by the
temporary defeat OF any measure which believe to be
sound say 'providental' because the world j. there
by saved many rash experiment In Specious cslSaVoh
otherwise the Huon's horn Of nconsderste en-
thusasm pretty dance among the briars
Unfortunately there is usual exception TO this gen
era rule the Of the political Uranium are SO
loosely knit 20 leave crcvce through which con7id
eraons of epaemer expedieney find too easy entrance
Such considerations should always be remembered are
most liable disastrous rccoils. grant that our hope
has been long drawn out since material for It a for
every hope that has moral care has been constantly
supplied has become too sttcnuated TO bear the
strain put upon IL.
Reviewing briefly the efforts of Washington Irving
in behalf of a copyright law fifty years ago. Mr. Lowell
continues
We have been fighting for the with the
same weapon since aud apparently with the same
result. But for all that have made progress. Wo
have secured public discussion. and righteous cause
which has done that has got the weather Eausc vi "
adversary. / am TOO old 10 be persuaded by any ap'
pearances however specous that truth has lost. can
lose whit OF that divine quality which gives her I'M
mortal advantage over error The adversary has cum
ningy enrenchcd himself in the argument that there ca
be no thing property in idea and grant THAI
this falacy Of which IL is hard to disabusc the minds
Of otherwise intelligent men. But it in the form given
to an idea BY a Of genius. and in this only. that We
assert right Of property have been created. The
founders of our Republic tacy admitted this rsht when
they cla.sed the law copyright with that OF patents
I have known honest who denied the public eN-
pediency such right in both but cannot un-
drstand either logic the robty of these who admit
the one and deny other This right i visible and
pslpable in machine invisible and inpall able in a
book and for this very the law should be more
assiduous 70 protect II latter being the
weaker But after all species Of property is II"
artificial creature and the question il whether
il such property books did not exist IL would BE- wise
In our own interest create II The Inventions o.
whitney Fulton and of Morse added enormously to the
wealth Of the nation. Have not those Of Edwards and
Irving and Cooper and Emerson and Hawthorne and
wealth in nobler kind Or is not moral credit. then
worth something Is not indeed, the foundation
which financial credit built and securely rests
The foreign right property OF this description stand,
On precisely footing with the domestic right and
the wrong Of stealing either i equally great
And Mr.. Lowell concludes:
lived TO more than one successful APPEAL from
the unrcason peoples representative, TO the reason
OF the people therefore not 20 b. tired
with waiting : wcsrsOne ourselves and 20 Others
also 70 60 ON repeating argument, have been using
FOR these forty and which to US seem 20 ,eedent
but think That rcformer Ids ever gained hH
end who has not himself intoerable bore to
the vast majority Of his kind. done my share in
my time TO help forward such trphs Of edou,nes but
ysu will not thank me