The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-09-20

lar tales by non-Arynn peoples. and. eso'e
ali. by savage tribes. The sumo oblecio, !,
valid against the Bentley theory. WIZ. =
that popular tales, or rather the bulk OF thtui'
were invented in India and that. withih rs rs
torical times, they were disseminated ~ IT.
erary channels all over the world. hlae
oue-half or more of popular European tnes
or tests can be traced to ancient lndiah
sources. it ia only by wide stretch o. tue
IMAGINATION that one may believe that innihn
folk-tales wore didused among savage peo-
ples in such q manner as the benfeyites
would have US believe. As MAYER Oh iAc.,
students of fork-lore are at q loss 70 ueclus
how far popular tales may have peen siahsrne
ted from people to people. or how far tney origi-
mated out OK the same condition OF savage
thought. What the Grimms claimed az rare
exceptions-" the probability OF story
passing from one people 10 another ana hrii-
" roofing itself in foreign SOILS now SUI
posed to be the rule. Or, rs Mr. Lang puss
It: Wherever man. woman, or emu c - 20
there n tale NAV go and find new home
ANY drifted and wandering canoe. any cHp
tured alien wife, any stolen slave passed lto ON
hand to hand in commerce or war, may ca,
q Marchen These processes OF transililsslon
have been going on. practicahy ever SIN
man was man. When Mr.. Lang comes 10
consider the resemblances Of plot ana ar
raneement in the popular tales OF unrelated
and widely separated peoples he confesseS3
ignorance. In truth. the sentiments expfesseu
in folk tales are more or less the same, De-
cause human nature is the same Mahg
pleasant discovery is in Warrington tho schoi,i
who will patiently gather these popular teacns
ings and combine them into a philosophy oi
folk-tales.-L. j. Vance, in The open Oou'''
Societies Of Authors.
Ever since tho dinner of the Society OF
Authors in London some months since there
has been more or less Of general discussion
az TO the proper scope OF such socellleS.
Some have considered them mere gatherings
of gore heads who, with extrayagan' lneaS
of the merits OF their own producuohS,
imagine that the publishers are ressponsipie
for the lack of interest that the puDuc taAo
in them. Some seem TO think that tney
furnish sort of system 10y which the author
ia going TO be able to squeeze the puDilShets
= little more and gain for himself falrer pro
norton of the income that comes III from inc
vast reading pnbhc. The best contribution
70 the discussion that We have seen
ia on article by George Haven Putnam, IN inc
September number OF the Forum. IL ls written
avowediy from the publishers STANDPOINT
hut il states the case Of the author very fairy,
and il furnishes what seems to us true basis
for n society of authors that shouid 90 q
Great service not only to authors but TO puD-
fishers. The gist of the difficulty between
authors and publishers consists III the major.
ity of cases in the proyerbial Ignorance Oh
authors in regard TO the methods OF puDiish-
ing. and the actual sales-value OF their pro-
auctions. The responsibility does not how
ever rest entirely with them. and one cause,
the one which after all has been at the bottom
of most of the aggravated cases, IS limited NJ IN
one of the closing sentences OF Mr. futnani
article: Whatever shape the compensation OK
the author may take excepting only thal 81 !. a
purchase outright of his copyright) ne IS
~ course entitled TO precise information as TO
the publishing statistics of his books. Tho
yearly OF half yearly accounts rendered
should give TO him clearly presented state
ments showing the number OF copies that
have been printed and the number that nave
been sold and the records In the publishing
Office serving rs vouchers for these state
ments, should be as open for his Inspection
lat all reasonable times as are the files OFT ne
press notices. think it is probable that this
Is the practice of the leading publishers, at
least in the United States" This puts the
case fairly and squarely and, barring the lg,
norance referred TO above, no author could
have any Just reason for complaint against
any house that carried out such q rule
1t is also undoubtedly true that the great ma
iority. certainly of the leading publishing
houses, do not only have but keep the rule.
There are. however. vast number OF houses
that can scarcely be called leading houses,
and while among them a majority are un-
doubtedly honorable in their dealings there
are Just enough whose practice, occasionally
if not oftener, verges on the sharp. If it docs
not cross the line. We're it possible for
authors to have dealings only with honorable
houses the chances for dispute would be in
6niteiy lessened. The difficulty comes in re-
gard 10 the others In these two lines. we
conceive. rests the work OF legiti-
mate and valuable society Of authors.
Its object should be, first. instruction;
second, protection. 1t should gather and
give out accurate information as TO the bust
ness r,rt of the authors work, enabling him
to understand the accounts that tho pub
Usher presents IL could also assist him in
the securing Of well-reeognized rights IL
would seldom, if ever, come into collision
with an honorable house, indeed, it would be
the means of relieving such Of many source
of perplexity and difficulty; but when pub
Usher refused to do what every one will agree
with Mr. Putnam in saying that he ought to
do. it could bring some pressure 70 bear to