New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-11-22
Above the oceans rim. -


Mr.. Howellss Christmas vision Of what followed the
passage Of the International copyright law in the
try called Altrria will appeal with peculiar force to
authors. "The people, says his interlocutor In this
VISION when they had got their eyes open to
the injustice they had been doing the foreign authors
could not get them shut again to the Injustice they
still doing TO the natipe authors The Altru-
rians lad always prlded themselves on the equality
OF all classes and conditions before the law and
they had suddenly become aware that the law
actually distinguished against The very best class Of
citizens, the most industrious and refined aud modest
We found that there vas one class of prOpretors
who not only not equal with the others before the
law, but who were actually branded with stamp Of
inequality, Of inferiority by the law. That the
class OF proprictors who created their property. You
might beg, borrow steal thing, and II you did Ii
under OF law IL yours and your heirs
and assigns forever. You might sell your soul or
your honor FOR IL, and IL should be inscnably yours
But IL Won made IL II you actually created H. you
gave material form TO Something out OF the ideal world
which would have been here but for you then 10
was not yours forever but only for certain term Of
years ard II any one stole il, In whole or In part
the law did not arrest the thief your complaint
and punish him upon proof of his guilt but 1t
allowed you to bring suit for damages in civil action
That was the position Of the author before the law Of
Altruria at the time the famous International Copy
right Act was passed In 1891"
In the country Of Altruna, strangely enough, such
injustice capable Of arouslng the popular con
science. "Tlere unanimous appeal to The
legislature for relief" continues the chroncler The
Congress elected this issue passed bill declaring
property In copyrights perpetual, and protecting II
from aggression by fine and Imprisonment. The
consttutonaity Of the law questioned, and the
first case under II carried up to the Supreme
Court. There the defence urged that there
essential difference between the property that O
created and the property that man earned. or won
or legally stole that created property was of such
volatile elusive nature that IL could be secured to
its owner for brief term Of years only and protected
by such penalties only left him liable for costs IL
no failed in CIVIL suit for damages 1t was contended
that lie public benefactor and must be made to
feel IT, The Court inquired IL this contention We're
not legal fiction, and upon the admission Of the
defence that it legal felton, the Court ordered
the defence to copyright 1t, like other fcons, under
the old law while It reserved IFS decision"
The end OF this matter IS related with much humor
and shrcwdness aud will let readers seek
II in the language Of the Altruran historian. Mean
wlilo we commend his statement of the case. as given
above, to their sense OF justice
Mr. Robert Beverly Hale, son of Dr. Edward Everett
Hale, has written clever Thanksgiving story for
"Thc Boston Commonwealth II is called "A Fam
lily Quarrel
Eight copies Of Browning's first book, Pauline
are known to be In existence. or Mrs. Browning's
first book "The Battle OF Marathon written when
she was q child and published for her by her father
In an edition Of fifty copi.s Just three copies have
been uneathed. of This poem its author once wrote
that, although curious production for child. ID
gives evidence only OF an initiative faculty and
and good deal OF reading In peculiar direction"
that Is to say In the direction Of POpes Homer and
consequent Greek and Latin. Here IS her description
In this poem Of the sacrifice 10 Minerva and the
answering apparltlon Of the goddess:
Th assembled warriors pour
The sacred incense, and tire God adore;
Then partial Jovc prvpitious heard their prayer
Thrice shock the heavens and thnndsrsd thru the air
And their breasts glow with all the war!le fires;
And now twelve hefers white snow they lead
To great Minerva's sacred name TO bleed.
They fall-thclr bulks upon the pile are laid
prsS %S oil and gc ns aas n sS:
The ,sronnd she touched beneath ths mighty load
Within her hand her fathers iShtnings shone,
The Greeks with fear, her deuntless form surveyed
And trembling. bowed before the blue-eyed maid.
The lofty being known as Thomas Lake Harris
Laurence Olphants Harris-is taking what mere
worldly people would call business advantage OF what
ever interest may have been aroused by his appearance
In the Ollphant biography Divers books and
pamphlets by +" the prophet just coming out In
England.
Oscar Wilde Is writing story, one which Is
intended to be study Of Christianity from the point
Of view OF who regards ID as a great world
force and Independently OF any doctrInal bias"
Daudet Is writing a novel TO DO called La Cara
vane"
We do not understand why Mr. Iiowells's new
novel should appear In this country under the title IF
"TIe Quality of Mercy" and In England as John
Northwick Denulter." Are English readers supposed
to DO ignorant Of their Shakespeare less quick than
A mi IN saa tha noIp nj LII