New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-02-10
A DELAY FOR COPYRIGHT
TEE BILL AMENDED IN THE SENATE.
WRp IITHOGRAPuERS AMENDMENT ADOPTED
THE MEASURE NAY BE DISCUSSED IN
THE HOUSE AGAIN.
rsr TELEGRAPH TO THE rKIpUxE.1

Nm was taken up in the Senate today much to the
,rasfcaOn Of the friends Of that measure lut II soon
saoame apparent that the hope of getting an i'm.
,oetiste vote and Of shutting OF all amendments was
a delusive one. The fact that the EightHour Claims
mi had Just been amended ont of existence left the
advocates of that proposed piece of legislation in
M frame OF mind TO listen 10 any talk about the
neessity for leaving the House Bill intact and the
argument that the socalled LthOGaphers' amendment
would be impolitic and unwise because il might
danger the enactment Of any copyright law at this
session, proved, apparently fatal mistake of tsccs
on the part Of the friends Of copyright Mr.. Frye.
who urged the Lithog1ap piers amendment and who
was met with the request to withdraw it. not because
Il was improper but because il might embarIass the
bill, cleverly took advantage Of the feeling OF the
senate AGAINST this rather Offhand method If lcris
lation and when the vote came his proposition
was adopted by 27 against 24tms putting the friends
of the bill In the attitude of being beaten their own
ground. This reverse embodened other senators 10
submit amendments and the friends of the bill were
soon Obliged not only to give up the idea Of SAVING
the House bill intact, but actually to fight to preserve
the copyright principle at all.
Mr.. Sherman's amendment admitting books printed
in foeign countries although copyrighted here also at
the rates fixed by the present tarii-25 per ccntwas
declared by Mr. Plat and other supporters d inc
House bill to be absolutely destructive of the principle
involved in that measure. Yet this amendment was
not only presented but received a good deal OF sup
port in debate, aud il Will probably prove trouble
some obstacle in the way of the friends OF copyIS
tomorrow. Mr.. Sherman and Mr.. Hiseock advoca'eu
f. while MIR. Plat and Mr.. Evarts opposed H. Mr.
Sherman said in presenting the amendment uiaU
the bill as drawn would practically forbid INC
purchase by Americans of any BOOK pih''eu
abroad If there happened TO be copynsheo AIhcii'
can editions of 1t, no matter what PaiuO
lar excellence the foreign prints might nave
or bo<g much cheaper they might be. lie thought
d,,YI-
10 the American publisher and that absolute pfohioi
tion of the importation of books would DC pieIuui'"
10 the public interest
Mr.. sherman's amendment left pending when
the Senate took recess, and as the attempt 10 hou
an evening session was dismal hzzle' no No'o U" "
was reached before adjournment
The incorporation of the hthogrdpheIS "iiro,'
m4nt into the bill will not of course, prevent inc
massage of the measure, and there Is every lhucaoh
that The House bill will be adopted III Slgh'N
rodaed FORM But It will then have to so PACK
10 the House and through OoAIcIVHoe Ooi''''0 ~
fore II can become law
When the senate took up the consideration OF tile
z,omss DOWNRIGHT bill. Mr.. Plat, who has charge OF
II made a brief explanation of and argument LOT IT,
II WAS practically. he said, the Chace BILL as IL assn
the senate two three years ago. except III oAo
nartdcular; that that it depended upon foreign
countries adopting similar legislation In Other "oN'
the last section of the bill what might be called
recinrocitv clause II provided that the act should
only apuly to foreign country which peIIhlued
Americans the benefit OF copyright SUBSTANTIALLY ."
the same basis as It's own citizens. lie hopei lla'
the House bill would be passed without amendment
Mn FRYE did not coincide IN that view. but offered
an amendment extending the principles OF the bill TO
kare,, charts dramatic or musical coMposiuohs'
orarovines cuts prints, Chromos and Autographs
lie snake of the magnitude of the photographic busl-
ness in the United states. in which, he SAID some
1000 was invested, and nearly 14Ooo men ana
women, were employed. Cnder the House bhi uiit
hus,pess would be entirely at the mercy of Germany
where the persons employed were paid only aoou'
onethird Of the wages paid in the United states.
The amendment which he offered was for the solo
nurpe of allowing photographers and photographers
nrecely the same protection which the Dill gave 10
the printers and he certainly saw no reason WY
that should not be done. In support Of the amend
ment he read letters from +. c. Alien a Co.. OF
Augusta Me- and from Vickery Il Hill, of Augusta
Me saving that the bill would actually protect ule
home market for photographic productions against
American workmen and i'll favor OF foreign worKIeh'
Mr. Mcpherson made an argument in favor OF the
amendment and sent TO the clerks desk ana hao
read the petition of the photographers giving 'neir
position The discussion Of the amendment was
continued by Mr. Hale in favor OF the amendment and
nv Mr. Reagan in opposition. Mr.. Coke character
zed the bill as an embargo the spread Of intelligence
and education He thought that the Jhl'ed STATES
should % care Of it's people and let other nations
ake
10 baya cheap literature cheap history. cheap spell
ing hooks and cheap arithmetic bOoks-just as cheap
as they could be got
The VicePresdent presented teleTiallS Ie'elNed DN
him from tho president of the Boston Art Clu0 Jol
Andrew q Son, of Boston, and the treasurer OF tle
Paint and Clay Club, artists Of Boston, all protesting
AGAINST the adoption Of Mr. FIye's amendment.
similar protest was read from the president Of inc
PapyT1ls Club, of Boston. society Of authors ana
artists. A telegram from General Francis ~ walker
of Boston, was also laid before the senate, stating the
opposition Of artists 10 the photographic amendment
Another protest against the same amendment was
received by the VtccPresdcnt from the licAoype
Printing Company, of Boston. The president OF the
American Library Association sent communication
urging the passage of the bill in its present FORM
which was also laid before the Senate by the Vice
President.
Mr. Evarts argued that the Senate had passed last
Congress by vote Of 81 TO 10 bill the same in all
It's general features that before the Senate
and the Senate would be placing itself in an eXtraor
binary position If it struck now at the foundation OF
that bill, or if it reOpened on MI Frye's amendment
the discussion OF the whole subject in the House There
were in New York many firms and gentlemen inter
ested in lthOgraphng, and he had presented several
nertions in favor of that interest but he had been
boed 10 make the answer to them that their PROPOSE
,ion came al stage Of legislation when us adoption
would teopardize the whole bill, as there wonld be
no assurance that there might not have been changes
in public views and in the RELATIONS Oh poA'0"i 4'0i
ing which would defeat the bill.
Mr.. Platt also argued against Mr. Fryes amend,
nant He agreed that there might De measure Oh
,nstice IN it, ,bu1 he doubted whether H. adopu2n
wnnId not do great injustice. In other words, ne
doubted whether the same Language wDuM Uo nd" AZ
snnjcable 10 the protection u book pruning any W
ife protoction Of the printing Of enSravings' ntRO
graphs c6romOs and works. Oh at, ,Snccd and il
6erfnt difference in the thing - DC w. +binos
was that essential difference between me e {%P no 70
that made him feel that the alnehucf I'LL Tcrcd
be pressed now. but CushO - ~ mo-
In The committee. a,,r,cpt The hill pro
,c,d 80 ,1rjntinr and book publishing Dul II W.
gross injustice to s,oP at ors saa de, S Of maps
eSped ner Prod@e 1o2 ,be a iSS Of tins couH
should be compe,GS o 10 hdnd The reasons that
WORKED for he printer ought to work 9cred about
oTapher was there any tIng n Uot he amended The