The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-04-20

Richardson, the Democratic
leader in congress. The Sun repeats
them daily on its editorial page, citing
names and dates, and it would seem
that Mr. Richardson ought to say
something in reply, but he is silent.
In 1894 Mr.. Richardson. while serv-
ing as chairman of the printing COM
| mittee, was authorized by congress TO
compile and to publish as a public
document, the messages and papers
of the presidents, which he did, the
compilation filling ten large volumes.
A certain number of copies was allotted
| to each congressman, after which a
resolution was passed giving to Rich
ardson duplicate set of the plates.
When efforts We're made to increase
| the number of free copies, for which
| there was naturally a large demand,
they We're somehow killed; and when
| Richardson was asked if he intended
| to copyright his compilation he replied
| that under the law government docu-
ment could not be copyrighted; yet
| nevertheless a special edition of the
|
| peared, purporting to have been put
| by congress in the hands of special
committee on distribution" consisting
| of Richardson, A. r. Spofford and one
| Barcus, but which was copyrighted "by
| j. ID. Richardson" and for sale by cam
vassers at $34 a set the canvassers
| giving the impression that they were
| authorized by congress TO peddle pub
| lie documents on these terms.
| The law to which Mr. Richardson
referred when he announced, on May
| II, 1897, that he could not possibly
| copyright a government publication,
| is contained in Section SO of the Pub
! lie Printing act of Jan. 12.1S95: "The
public printer shall sell, under such
regulations as the joint committee on
printing may prescribe, to any person
or persons who may apply, additional
or duplicate stereotype or electrotype
plates from which any government
| publication is printed, at a price not
to exceed the cost of composition, the
metal and making to the government
| and ten per centum added: Provided,
:" That no publication reprint
ed from such stereotype or electro
| type plates, and no other government
publication, shall be copyrighted" Yet
| Richardson, the Democratic leader in
congress, has either copyrighted or
pretended to copyright a government
| publication and is now receiving q
royalty on every copy sold. based on
his rights under that alleged copyright.
But this is not all. I'm the legis-
lutive. executive and judicial appro-
priation bill for the coming fiscal year
| there was tucked away" says the Sun,
this small and apparently innocent
provision in the form of an amend
ment: That permission is hereby
granted to j. d. Richardson to COM
pile, edit and publish, without expense
| to the government, the state papers
and diplomatic correspondence of the
late Confederate states, and access to
said papers and correspondence shall
be given him for that purpose, by
the heads of the executive depart
ments having such papers in charge
under such regulations as may be re-
spectively prescribed by them This
appropriation bill, including the
amendment here quoted, has passed
both the house and the senate. and
has gone through the conference stage
and is at the present time in the
hands Of the president. 1t will be-
come a law and the Hon. James ID
Richardson will have laid successfully
the foundation for another claim &c
the commercial monopoly OF important
public records, the property of the
United States government"
An explanation from Mr.. Richardson
is certainly desirable.