The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-05-30
High Time for "Interfercncc. =

Congress has one more duty TO perform
with regard to the corrupt and impudent
concern which for two years past has been
selling to citizens a Government document
at an exorbitant price. That is to break
up the monopoly still maintained under the
fraudulent pretence Of Copyright, 1897,
by JAMES ID. RICHARDSON"
The men whose characters and methods
have been so thoroughly exposed care very
little for exposure, or for the denunciations
of investigating committees. so long as they
are permitted to continue to Ill their pock-
cts at the expense Of the public and at the
sacrifice Of the Governments dignity. They
ara not persons to be feazed by mere
conviction of mendacity and dishonorable
practices. They are perfectly willing to
stand any amount Of official censure and
unofficial public contempt providing the
business y is not interfered with. They
are probably willing even to change their
methods for the sake Of the main chance.
Thus we find BARCUs reported in the In
didnapolis Press as expressing the ardent
hope that in spite of all thai has occurred
Congress will not he so cruel as to spoil the
market for his ga sets. BARCrs thinks
that the Gallinger resolution, calling
for an edition of the Messages and
Papers" to be sold to all applicants at cost.
that Is, at 90 or 81 IA set, is very unjust to
himself and his precious partners, besides
| savoring Of socialism. 1T would be" says
this young man, impressively. "a step to-
| ward paternalism, the curse OF France and
| every nation which has ever started on that
road" And he adds:
"A further reason for my belief tina, ,h.r. will be
no free distribution Is tina, Congress recognize, me
property right uhich II has rested IN M RICHARD.
SON. and In reliance on which We have spent a large
amount Of money to develop the property"
In his testimony before the Platt Com
mittee BARCrs likewise revealed uncon-
sciously the chief apprehension now gnaw-
ing upon his mind. Under Senator ELKINs's
| questioning he admitted that he f~oresaw for
himself a business amounting to at least
g., $50, 900 In the aggregate for the ten years
OF his contract with RICHARDSON, that Is to
say, III the public mind could be put at
rest on tho question Of free distribution. A"
BARCvs Is a good deal more concerned
about putting the public mind to rest on the
| question Of free distribution than he IL
about any adjectives that are officially ap-
piled to the business methods Of himself
and his associates.
BARCUs's contract with RICHARDSON has
yet about eight years to run But when he
talks about the possible interference OF
Congress with the business of the Com
mittee on Distribution" as an act Of in
Justice to himself. or about 1.-THE property
right which Congress has vested in Mr.. RICH
ARDsoN," his indomitable impudence breaks
all its previous records Congress has moth
ing to do with the contract bet ween RICH
ARDsON and BARCrs except so far as that
contract has repaid with humiliation. an
noyance and scandal the foolish generosity
Of Congress to RICHARDSON. Congress has
vested in RICHARDSON no property right -
whatever in this Government publication,
II has neither directly nor indirectly agreed
at any time to refrain from interfering -
with the private sale Of this public docu-
ment. On the contrary, the duplicate
plates were voted TO Mr.. RICHARDSON, upon
that gentleman's persistent solicitation,
only after he had been questioned sharply
as to his Interpretation Of tho gift. and had
declared explicitly that he should claim no
vested property right. We quote from
the Record of May IL, 1897:
"Mt BRo~lrS The Government ran 60 or pub.
: li,hlng and selling a, ma coptc5 asst please I,
Mr. BAU EY, Ccrt1irly And tho Government
cat authorize any publishing house IN the country to
furnish these hOoaS to the public
NJ WALKER 81 Massachusetts i should be-
glad To have placed In the Record n complete
statement o.. the gentleman from Tennessee rs TO the
exact effect In his ytN VI IhiS amendment, So tina;