The Port Gibson reveille. [volume] (Port Gibson, Miss.) 1890-current, 1893-03-10
The Rights Of Authors.


For he Rsvellls.l
The lion. &. L. Hooker has rrceul
: ~, for the second time, ~pul hlmseI
on record" as 81 able and eanest ad
vocafc Of two measures which, IN ih.
shape Of a bill, have for nearly ihres
years In vain sought access TO congress-
for debate and nnal arbitration. The
two measures ere:
, First, one uniform postal rate on
! printed matter, tor the public and for
the publisbing monopoly.
The second measure aims af tho rca-
toration Of The authority Of the cou-
stitution, and Of the statnies Of the
United States by a declaration of con-
gress that The copyrighted books of
American authors are legal property
In the literary market without tho Inn
print OF publisher or OF any news
company, their imprint not being re-
quired by constitutional law.
AS the committee reiuaed to
report the bin, tho House has
not yet boen called upon 10
|. decide the question of the i'm.
print bnt, during The consideration Of
the.postoffice appropriation bill during
the first session ofthe present congress-,
the Hon. g. T. Hooker introduced an
amendment covering one item OF the
matter Of uniform rate. The amend
ment was lost because II was attached
10 another amendment, but our dele
gate had supported II ably and had
cited two decisions by the supreme
court sustaining tho rights of authors.
The following copy from the Con-
grcssional Record of tho 18th may be
of interest TO friends Of Col. Hooker
and to those gentlemen OF bis consist
uency who desired his energetic ac-
lion In tho matter:
"MR. HooKER, OF MISS: Mr.Chair-
mani desire to oEfer an amendment
10 come In 90 Section 5, and / hope the
gentlemen having the bill IN charge
will not offer any objection to Il.
The amendment was read as fol-
lows:
SEC. 8. That hereafter no discrimi-
nation shall be made In the rate Of
postage for books transmitted through
the mails by publishers and authors,
but all such mail shall be transported
at the rate provided now by law for
books transmitted by publishers.
Ma. HENDERSON, or N. c.: Mr..
Chairman-I make the point Of order
on that amendment that II Is not GER
name and that II changes existing law,
and does not retrench expenditures.
The Chairman-Thc chair viii hear
tho gentleman from Mississippi on tho
point OF order.
Nix. HOOKER, OF Miss. Mr.. CHAIR
man-At the first session Of this con-
gress, when the pOstofico appropria-
iion bill was under discussion, had
the honor 10 offer this proposition rs
an amendment to the bill then pending
which later became law. There was
a vote upon the proposition in the
committee Of tho whole, which shoS-
cd ~ members In favOr Of the propo-
sition and As against IL. That vote
was taken In committee. but the prop
osilion waB attached to another amend
menf. which was finally voted down
by the house.
Now sir, the objection Is made that
this is not In the line Of relronohmeut,
aud that IL changes existing law. AS
| understand IL, it changes only a reg
ulaiion by the department. and not the
existing law. When the proposition
was made bofolc, l took occasion TO
read an article upou tho subject Of The
Justice OF this amendment. The arii-
clio was then read In cxlonso. Now
simply propose 10 read single para
graph from II. Ii IL TO be found IN
Iho Congressional Record Of the pro-
Of the first session OF this /.
aud the paragraph to which
NO call attention Il as follows:
@The public and American authors
san not deny TO publishers tho right !
% manage their own business ~ they c
please, but they have n right to de-
nand Of the government Of the people
,qual bonchts with the publishing mo-
iopoly. That tho dcspotlc power /
which has closed the natural aud le- !
Ultimate channels OF trade against all
,ooks but Its own, should be restrain
ID and confined within constitutional \
imils, Is too just demand to be ro-
used. The combination OF the pub
ishers aud the @Aneriean News Com
lany Publishers Agent" with its in- y
lnmorabIe branches, ils secret service .
'lc., is OF itself strong enough 10 dis .
,enso with The aid OF the government.
3ut instead Of giving TO all who par L
icinafa In the race for prosnerflv flsa