New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-10-19
COPYRIGHT MORALITrEs.
AND THE NiMORAnITlES OF MESSRS. HOP
KINS AND PAYSON. OF ILLINOIS.

London, October 8.
II Mr.. Hopkins and Mr.. Payson, Of Illinois, care
for notoriety, they may be cratifed by the atten-
ton bestowed on them abroad. Their names have
iecome widely known: and now seem likely 10
be more widely known than eyer before. They
may have thought, hitherto. that their European
fame was wholly or chiefly English; on which
they would naturally set little value, or COM
paratively little. They must rejoice TO hear that
1t Is becoming cosmopolitan France has heard
Of them, and Spain, and many another european
land They Lay yet be known as the Great
Twin Brethren, and when Piracy has been num-
bered sn>ng the cardinal virtues, the Castor
and Pollux Of Illinois may be canonized as It's
patron saints. They can read oil about these
earlier pagsns In books which have paid no base
tax TO the writer Of them. Not that there Is any
real likeness between Mcssrs. Hopkins and Paysoi
on the one hand and the Doscurt on the other
But they will both be celebrated in pairs as long
10 they are celebrated at all.
1t is the International Literary Congress wmoh
has once more brought Mr.. Hopkins Of Illinois
and Mr. Payson OF Illinois TO the front. ms
body 10 sitting in London. and its secretary, NJ
Jules Lermina, read paper yesterday on Copyright
in the United States. NJ. Jules Iermina IS a
rrcnchman that is why said that the fame oil
the Illinois Gcmini was becoming Cosmopolitan
Not only is NJ jules Lermina French. but those
who listened to him were French and Italian
and Swiss and Spanish and German 50 that
think It may now be safely said that among
all these various natiOnalities these great names
Hopkins and Payson, have become househoiu
words NJ Lermina named them TO this Elo-
pean assemblage the champions OF the ooo.rn'e
that a European author has rights when al
American publisher, or the American puoi'' 10
bound to respect. He quoted them; VIII ho'
10 rift HON or CrtESn Is
cisely the kind of weapon to use against ni.n
who boldly hoist tie Black Flag and san ''''
broad seas with 1t. But it Is enough for 'esSis'
Pavson and Hopkins, of Illinois. to DC quo'eu
This controversy about copyright, an0"eSpeoi"S
about International copyright In America 10 9n NV
of a permanent place In literary history
men who have taken part In II are SURF VI
permanent place also. The part Messrs HOPKINS
and Payson havt taken is prominent one anu
the place permanently allotted to tnem 'iie
pilory 1911.
Most of us read the speeches OF these gen'"
men. or such report Of them as was puoi'he'
at the time In those American papers ~ihch con
Germ themselves with copyright. Yet there Is
still n novelty in reading them once more IN
English print translated, moreover out OF french
into English after having been translated ono OF
American into French This double process Is
Of itself hind of fame The sentiments, opinions
or whatever they may be called. seem nelther
better nor worse for having undergone THESE opera
tions. There is no mistaking the meaning OF
men who take the Commandment and alter 1t to
read. Thou shalt steal" 1t remains steailnS
whether in French or English or American, OF IN
tie language of Illinois. And one seems to see
Mr. Hopkins Of Illinois in q brighter light IMAM
ever when NJ Lemina describes him as proudly
nointine out that thirteen bills against stealing
hofo he
sentatiyes set it's legislative foot on the four
tenth. The circumstances and the audience ore
different NJ Lermina assumes that the views as
well as the conclusions Of these Illinois patriots
were adopted BY the House. or by the majority
of the House. I hope that is not quite 80; yet 1t
might be difficult to deny that such an inference
is warranted.
What one would Hike to know Is whether
MessYs. Hopkins and Payson would say to an In
ternational Literary Congress in London the same
things they said to the House Of Representatives
in Washington. and in the same crude way They
attack the principle Of intellectual property MI
Hopkins Is Of opinion that the author creates
nothing He added that an author worthy of the
name would not work for money Will he like
to be told, as NJ. Lermina tells him. that he is
closing tho door Of o literary career TO every
one without fortunep 1t il an argument for
monopoly of literature by the rich. Is that
popular argument in nlnoisP 1t ts doctrine
said this Frcnchman. Of silence for The poor. Are
we then to yield to q Frenchman tn respect Tor
the rights Of labor, the rights Of property, and
the rights of the poor all in one9
What Is there in common between us and
other countries ?" asks the Chapvinistio Payson
Not much. it may b hoped, Y he be really an
exponent Of American principles. 1.-THE public, !"
says the representative Of Peptiac owes the
-. "a ain
it is 10 be said that such declarations as these
look far otherwise when published here than
when published at homo. No doubt ut home
YOU know payson, Or know about him. You
have the means Of appraising him and bis
speeohes You know why he Is In Congress, how
he got there, what his place Ia In Pontiac and In
Washington, what his importance Is, what his
constituents and colleagues think Of him. You
dismiss him. ! dare soy, with grin. You know
very well that neither he nor his fnend Mr.
Hopkins is representative man-he Is o repre-
sentative in Congress-. but that is different. And
YOU wonder why the European should trouble
himself about this interesting pair, or why even
the American in Europe should trouble himself
Well no doubt the American in Europe Is able
to discount" Messrs. Payson and Hopkins, but
the European is not. The European takes them
seriously. as we see NJ. Jules Lermina does They
are not, indeed, supposed to speak for the in
telligent classes for men of letters, or statesmen
or the professions, or for any section Of America
society which has reading, or the habit of seri-
Gus thought, or respect for the rights of others
Yet they are so far accepted representative that
they are believed to speak for great communities
and they bring these great communities into dis
credit and disrepute. Says NJ. Jules Lermina
The most rancorous opponents Of the pro-
posed copyright reform belong to regions the
least given to reading end study; countries purely
industrial. where writers and publishers are sell
dom to be found. In the constituencies Of these
representatives, Illinois. Kentucky. Missouri
Ohio and Texas intellectual rights are not real
and tangible things. The people Of such States
disregard alike the security and the dignity Of