The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1890-12-04
THE COpsRIGH7 BILL PASSED
The House Yesterday by a Vote
OF I3o 20 o5.
The pcfaasi on Lie min Lasted Two
Hourg Tsreckinrilse, OF Kentucky.
Farqrh~r, Cu,nminss, aIcAGoo md
DutterSorth spoke in Favor of the
lsi'i--poisrs, OF aansns, and Kerr, Of
iowa, OPPOSED 1t.

WAsulsGrox, Dec. s.-ESpccialI =
After the reading of Che journal the
Speaker SISTED that the pending bust
ness for further Consideration was the
copyright bill.
Simonds On charge of the billy stated
that tho friends of tho measure were
willing to have tho vote takcn inme.
diately. but express readiness to yield
any time that rs opponents might de-
sire.
Springer argued that tho bill changed
the tariff law III 80 far as the importa-
ton OF iooNs Was concerned. So that
the first effort after the Mckinley bill.
ana alter he election, was to make it
more impossible to import articles from
abroad, Notwithstanding she statement
of The President that impurta lions were
increasing.
Peters, OF Kansas, expressed his OPP
POSITION 70 the character OF legislation
involved in the bill. 1t was in the ma
ture OF 9rasi-special legislation, and as
matter of fact WAS the very legislation
that had been largely condemned by the
last election.
The kind of Legislation the people
wanted was such legislation rs reached
the masses of the people, and such
Legislation WAS not in favor OF any sppc-
ial class.
Breciiinridge, OF kentucky, said that
it was Clearly inconsistens with anv
idea of the copyright to mako it any
thing but exclusive. The idea of the
copyright was that he who owned the
copyright had tho exclusive right of
sale OF his book. lie who owned the
property had y right TO sell il according
TO his Judgment.
The copyright was nothing but legal
title, under the statutes, to the property
OF tho man who produced tho book.
Being his, he had ~ right to dispose Of
1T. 1t Was dishonest to deprive him of
that right. -
Oates inquired rs to the clause renuir-
ing book to be printed from typo set
within the United States
breckenridge replied that all lcgis-
lation was practical and Il matter of
concession. The question was no,
whether ,he remedy could BE- made
absolute, but how nearly absolute it
could be made. There were diverse
interests involved.
The interest of tho author who fur
nishefs ,2os'sraihs; the interest of the
PVpiAobNA HO Lnt ClDlL3l,7 ana
the interest of the workingmcn who
furnished the labor.
All these interests must DO combined
in this bill, and all wore combined in it.
lie did not believe that cheaper books
could be obtained now than could be
obtained under this bill, but oven If
1ncy could, this Wa Il matter of Justice
and honesty.
1t was the old argument he had heard
of i'll Kentucky when one old negro
asked another: "5am, how's it you sell
your brooms cheaper than me, when
steals de straw?'
''Oh. that amt nothin' vas the reply,
81 steals my trooms ready made"
UIaughtcr.)
He believed that mans dollar be-
longcd to the man that made il; and
socicty's highest duty was to protect
that man in possession of his dollar
whether that man was foreigner or
not.
Kerr OF Iowa, opposed the bill. char
actcrizing tho idea rs something in
tangible and referring to tho pending
measure as Il great tariff law. 1t was
law for the protection of printers. 1t
was not protective tariff, but prohibit
tive tariff.
The debate lasted two hours. The
other speakers in favor of the bill were
Farquhar and Cummings, of New York;
McAdco and Buttcrworth.
Peters, Of Kansas, moved to recommit
the bill, with instructions, to tho com
mittce on patents To report it back with
IN amendment limiting the life OF Il
copyright to fourteen years.
breckenridge, of ArkanSaws, moved TO
amend the instructions by instructing
the committee to provide for the i'm
porting OF books Of foreign authors at
the rate now provided by law Lost;
yeas 9, nays liO.
Peters motion was lost; yeas 9s,
nays l3S.
'fhc question then REQUIRED to the
passage of the bill, and the vote re-
suited: Yeas 1870, nays %.
Without reaching action on any other
measure tho House adjourned.