Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-02-14
NATIONS CAPITAL.
Shall the Copyright Bill b
Amended 10 Death 4?

1 AAO0000 ~ OV0e0
Much Slid About Z tx q
| KnoVhd9e.
Many Of the Senators Take Part IN
the Wordy War.
| WGsuiS6roS, Feb. lS.--In the Senate
| today the consular and diplomatic appro.
| pfis:ion bill WAS reported with amendments
aud placed on the calendar, Hale giving
notice that he would ask for its considera-
| ton tomorrow.
| The Senate resumed confederation of the
copyright bill. the pending question being
on Sherman's amendment TO strike out the
~ord "prohihited" ard insert the words,
subject TO duties provided by law" 20
| that fo,eign editions of books. etc, copy
| righted in the United States may be sd-
misted to th., country on paymen, Of regu-
lar tariff duties.
| Pistt, who has charge of the bill, said
the friends Of the copyright would recog.
| Dixe the fact that the passage Of the bill
| impertlied by the amendment already
| agreed to, and further amendment TO it
| would defeat its passage this session. He
| opposed the sherman amendment because,
he ssid, the fur dsmentxl idea Of copy
right WAS the exclusive right to vend and
| the prohibition Of importation from for
eign countries. That was the only way in
which mans property in the work Of his
brain could be vindieated. He feared q
| good deal of contention arose from lack
| Of desire to protect mans property in HE
| own creations. Without consent Of the
proprietor Of a copyright. books could not
| be impaired aid sold.
| Allison remarked that copyright stood
on the SAME p,iociple as patents, the fact
Of n patent right being owned in this
| country, a. 10 the case Of Bessemer steel.
| Cid not prevent the importation Of Besse-
| mer steel from other countries.
Plat argued that full justice could not
| be done TO the author unless he WAS sllow ed
| to sell in each county where copyright
law prevailed the right to supply that
country.
Morrill, expressed the opinion that the
| adoption Of Sherman's amendment would
transfer the business of book printing en-
| tirely to Germany. where printers are not
| paid half as much a, in the United States.
Plat declared that il the bill failed 1t
| wonld be such shock to the moral senti-
men. Of the thoughtful people Of the coun
tsy as it has not received for good while
There is no reason why The works OF Hax-
ley, Darwin, Tennyson. or Germsn or
French authors should be pirated in this
country, or the works Of Bancroft, Lowell
or Long gfeliow pirated 10 England. France
or Germany. Such piracy is wrong; what
he contended for was that the mstter should
be decided on the broad lines of right and
wrong; if i. were, the bill would pass. He
feared there were lsx ideas spreading in
the community in regard to tine rights Of
property; of sll property that was subject
to acquisition, literary, intellectual and AZ
| tistic property was most honestly acquired
No man had the right to get up the cry OF
| cbesp books against the pending bill. Re-
ferring to Frye's amendment as to ltho-
graphs, musical composition, etc, Plat:
spoke Of what he termed unblushing ef-
irontery of li,hoaraphy as shown in their
statement that, in the absence of the
copyright law, the American lithogrA-
pher is at liberty TO copy or use any
| was Just and beneficial. Congress could
not be engaged in any nobier, gran5er or
more beneficial work than lsgislsilng to
protect literature and art wherever the sun
shone, in other countries as well as this
couutry. Had 1t come to this. that all the
wheels Of government should be turned 10
get things chesp for the people, at the ex-
pense of the property and rights Of others?
d t,, n
velop aud make higher and nooler race
Of cur people? How could that aim be
reached any better than by protecting,
stimulating and encouraging all intel
lectual effort aud artistic effort? The
brsin Of the American people WAS the true
Che might almost say oniy) source Of Nd
tional wealth. The higher the plane Of ir-
tellectual. literary and artistic development
the richer wera the people---rich with wealth
| not evansscent, but that endured. endured
no. only in this world, but was the only
wealth nan could take out of it. Tba:
WAS kind of wealth that ought 10 be se-
cu.el. wealth that man could carry across
| the dark river uith him, which was source
OF wealth to all eternity.
Pla.t defended the provisions Of the bill
,bst required the work of printing and
binding done in the Unite States. and
| said ShernsD'a amendment was in opposi-
ton to the principal of the international
copyright as it existed in all countries
excep. the United States. They all pro-
hibi.ed importation of copyright books
without the consent of the owner Of the
| copyright. The importation OF Tsuchniiz
edition Of Easlish works, printed in Ger
many In Eoglisb' type. is prevented in
England; i. was so in the case with every
book copyrighted in England. This Was
| not the new principal Of the copyright but
| was the very essence Of it.
DaEiel ssked Plat whether, il foreign
authors who obtained copyright we're re-
quired 70 have their works published sim
uitaBeoualy here and in their own country,
| the same principle would apply to Ameti-
can authors taking out copyrights abroad
wouid compel them to have their works
published simultaneously there and in the
! Uoi,ei States.
| Platt replied that that would depend up-
on how literally other countries NIGH, fol-
low the provisions Of the pending bill in
| order TO establish reciprocity in the ma
ter.
| Daniel remarked that If that was 80 il
would be subjectiDg the American authors
to the necessity Of publishing their work.
abroad in order TO get 10 the foreign msr
ket. ani asked whether that would not be
cuftaiiiEg the privileges the American
authors now had.
| Platt thought rot. American authors
as whole, had now no privileges 10 for.
eign counties.
| Daniel re marked that American book.
could now be imported into England with
out paying tariff duties or charges.
Reagan spoke on the subject OF the
amendInen. Of which he had given notice
yesterday. and said that while he favoret
international copyright, The pending bill ws
| mere supplement to the protective iarjff
The effect of lis passage wsud b. TO in
crease the cost of books, put restriction
on publications and tax on knowledge
Daniel criticized the bill ut much Ienglh
particularly that provision which requires
foreign authors having copyrish: il
the United States TO publish bis vofi
simultaneously IN the foreign countr'
ard this country which subjecfs the Amer
ican authors to reciprocal srrxpgem snt
/ Whist be desired to see was the EN-
bodimen. in eis&n-cvi bill OF the eq1is
sbie claim Ct the producer Of bsncfcis
~Dtk ~ SbfVf is iInAts. NfsuDut bhst1s
parasi;ss fastened upon him in the ssspl
Of publishers, printers, finders ard lisao
sranhsrs.
ETar.s remarked thtt the cop5 right i.sei
WAS q monopoly. RI tbey did nof van
monopoly, they did NOT ~art copyright.
Dsniei-copyrish. 10 a monopoly to Tn
, copyright holder. not to the Publisher. Tn
Senator from New York, although b