Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1891-02-26
EDITORIAL NOTES.
international Copyright.

-eference TO lnterDatloual copyright
We understand it just about as clearly
!. ue do the tariff, but we think lit.
,le more clearly than Senator Vance o.
North Carolina, who opposed the bill
bocause he thought that it would enrich
the leading publishers of the country.
# has been many years since the first
.rer,pts were made to secure the pass
ace of an international copyright bill.
Rnt no such bill has ever yet been pass
ID though the act is closer to a consum-
nation now. than ever before. The
House passed such bill sometime ago,
,bouob if we mistake not it went to the
uouse from the Senate. 1t went back
70 the Senate, presumably for the ac-
.ontanee of amendments. Then the at
,empt was made to further amend by
tbe Senate. The proposed amendments
.roro well enough, but the Senate did
NOT dare to eccept them, as, by so do
;nc it would subject the bill to the or
leal of passage through the House a.
,o;o In the rush of business at the
and Of the session it might be left over
q tbe next session, when the House
A.;nc democratic. would almost cer-
,,ioly kill it. In the votes thus far ta-
zen the democrats have as a rule OPP
,o.ed the measure, while the republic
an. have favored it. Why is 1t sought
"a secure an International Copyright
Law? Stated briefly, the case stands
.bout ike this: We wish to protect
authors in the enjoyment of the fruits
of their labors in this country in order
batour authors may enjoy similar
Droection in foreign countries. As the
matter now stands, an author writes a
hook in this country. 1t is copyright
cd A certain publisher buys the copy
dght. He holds the right to publish
tbat hook as against all other publish
ers. But some publisher in England
can publish that book and scatter all
over England and make as much mon
ey as possible and not allow the author
in this country one cent for the prod
met or his brain. The works Of our
mos, popnlar authors have been treat
ed diu this way for years. The works
Of Longfellow, for instance, that we
must nav a high price for in this coun-
nv Ne can bnv for song in England.
1--we undertake to buy and import we
are met by the tariff. Numerous ways
Of evasion have been practieed the up
shot Of the matter is that our authors
can oct nothing from the sale OF their
books in foreign countries and foreign
suthors can get nothing from the sale
Of their hooks in this country, unless
publishers graciously condescend to
bestow it. Authors complain bitterly
and always have about this state OF
things as they consider themselves bad
u treated. The public generally has
not shared in this Indignation. Multi
mdes Of good books as well as WORTH
less ones have been brought within 'he
reach of the masses of the people II
an International Copyright bill passes
i seems as though the works Of ior-
sign authors must be higher IN oui
markets. While such bill might be
an aci of Justice to authors, home ana
foreign. It would tend to restrict tiie
Nculatl0n OF literature. iii0
i an open question with many as 10
the expediencv Of passing such bill.
We have never heartily favored Inter-
RATIONAL Copyright any more than We
hays favored a high tariff on articles
Of foreign manufacture that we had oc-
casion to buy, tor the simple reason
hat Ne like to buy our books cheap
What we have said has reference TO
he principle underlying the measure
Ihe details Of the bill under consldera-
hon We are not familiar with.
The Springfield Republican Oh Mon
day gives "a long account Of an elephant
hai found its way up stairs in a New