north america-2-第88章

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between　two　countries　which　do　not　speak　the　same　language；　or　share　the　same　literaturehow　much　more　necessary　must　it　be　between　England　and　the　United　States！　　The　literature　of　the　one　country　is　the　literature　of　the　other。　　The　poem　that　is　popular　in　London　will　certainly　be　popular　in　New　York。　　The　novel　that　is　effective　among　American　ladies　will　be　equally　so　with　those　of　England。　　There　can　be　no　doubt　as　to　the　importance　of　having　or　of　not　having　a　law　of　copyright　between　the　two　countries。　　The　only　question　can　be　as　to　the　expediency　and　the　justice。　　At　present　there　is　no　international　copyright　between　England　and　the　United　States；　and　there　is　none　because　the　States　have　declined　to　sanction　any　such　law。　　It　is　known　by　all　who　are　concerned　in　the　matter　on　either　side　of　the　water　that　as　far　as　Great　Britain　is　concerned　such　a　law　would　meet　with　no　impediment。　Therefore　it　is　to　be　presumed　that　the　legislators　of　the　States　think　it　expedient　and　just　to　dispense　with　any　such　law。　　I　have　said　that　there　can　be　no　doubt　as　to　the　importance　of　the　question；　seeing　that　the　price　of　English　literature　in　the　States　must　be　most　materially　affected　by　it。　　Without　such　law　the　Americans　are　enabled　to　import　English　literature　without　paying　for　it。　　It　is　open　to　any　American　publisher　to　reprint　any　work　from　an　English　copy；　and　to　sell　his　reprints　without　any　permission　obtained　from　the　English　author　or　from　the　English　publisher。　　The　absolute　material　which　the　American　publisher　sells；　he　takes；　or　can　take；　for　nothing。　　The　paper；　ink；　and　composition　he　supplies　in　the　ordinary　way　of　business；　but　the　very　matter　which　he　professes　to　sellof　the　book　which　is　the　object　of　his　tradehe　is　enabled　to　possess　himself　of　for　nothing。　　If　you；　my　reader；　be　a　popular　author；　an　American　publisher　will　take　the　choicest　work　of　your　brain；　and　make　dollars　out　of　it；　selling　thousands　of　copies　of　it　in　his　country；　whereas　you　can　perhaps　only　sell　hundreds　of　it　in　your　own；　and　will　either　give　you　nothing　for　that　he　takes；　or　else　will　explain　to　you　that　he　need　give　you　nothing；　and　that　in　paying　you　he　subjects　himself　to　the　danger　of　seeing　the　property　which　he　has　bought　taken　again　from　him　by　other　persons。　　If　this　be　so；　that　question　whether　or　no　there　shall　be　a　law　of　international　copyright　between　the　two　countries　cannot　be　unimportant。　But　it　may　be　inexpedient　that　there　shall　be　such　a　law。　　It　may　be　considered　well　that；　as　the　influx　of　English　books　into　America　is　much　greater　than　the　influx　of　American　books　back　to　England；　the　right　of　obtaining　such　books　for　nothing　should　be　reserved；　although　the　country　in　doing　so　robs　its　own　authors　of　the　advantage　which　should　accrue　to　them　from　the　English　market。　　It　might　perhaps　be　thought　anything　but　smart　to　surrender　such　an　advantage　by　the　passing　of　an　international　copyright　bill。　　There　are　not　many　trades　in　which　the　tradesman　can　get　the　chief　of　his　goods　for　nothing；　and　it　may　be　thought　that　the　advantage　arising　to　the　States　from　such　an　arrangement　of　circumstances　should　not　be　abandoned。　　But　how　then　about　the　justice？　　It　would　seem　that　the　less　said　upon　that　subject　the　better。　　I　have　heard　no　one　say　that　an　author's　property　in　his　own　works　should　not；　in　accordance　with　justice；　be　insured　to　him　in　the　one　country　as　well　as　in　the　other。　　I　have　seen　no　defense　of　the　present　position　of　affairs；　on　the　score　of　justice。　　The　price　of　books　would　be　enhanced　by　an　international　copyright　law；　and　it　is　well　that　books　should　be　cheap。　　That　is　the　only　argument　used。　　So　would　mutton　be　cheap　if　it　could　be　taken　out　of　a　butcher's　shop　for　nothing。　But　I　absolutely　deny　the　expediency　of　the　present　position　of　the　subject；　looking　simply　to　the　material　advantage　of　the　American　people　in　the　matter；　and　throwing　aside　altogether　that　question　of　justice。　　I　must　here；　however；　explain　that　I　bring　no　charge　whatsoever　against　the　American　publishers。　　The　English　author　is　a　victim　in　their　hands；　but　it　is　by　no　means　their　fault　that　he　is　so。　　As　a　rule；　they　are　willing　to　pay　something　for　the　works　of　popular　English　writers；　but　in　arranging　as　to　what　payments　they　can　make；　they　must　of　course　bear　in　mind　the　fact　that　they　have　no　exclusive　right　whatsoever　in　the　things　which　they　purchase。　　It　is　natural　also　that　they　should　bear　in　mind；　when　making　their　purchases　and　arranging　their　prices；　that　they　can　have　the　very　thing　they　are　buying　without　any　payment　at　all；　if　the　price　asked　do　not　suit　them。　　It　is　not　of　the　publishers　that　I　complain；　or　of　any　advantage　which　they　take；　but　of　the　legislators　of　the　country；　and　of　the　advantage　which　accrues；　or　is　thought　by　them　to　accrue；　to　the　American　people　from　the　absence　of　an　international　copyright　law。　　It　is　mean　on　their　part　to　take　such　advantage　if　it　existed；　and　it　is　foolish　in　them　to　suppose　that　any　such　advantage　can　accrue。　　The　absence　of　any　law　of　copyright　no　doubt　gives　to　the　American　publisher　the　power　of　reprinting　the　works　of　English　authors　without　paying　for　them；　seeing　that　the　English　author　is　undefended。　　But　the　American　publisher　who　brings　out　such　a　reprint　is　equally　undefended　in　his　property；　when　he　shall　have　produced　his　book；　his　rival　in　the　next　street　may　immediately　reprint　it　from　him；　and　destroy　the　value　of　his　property　by　underselling　him。　　It　is　probable　that　the　first　American　publisher　will　have　made　some　payment　to　the　English　author　for　the　privilege　of　publishing　the　book　honestly；　of　publishing　it　without　recurrence　to　piracy；　and　in　arranging　his　price　with　his　customers　he　will　be　of　course　obliged　to　debit　the　book　with　the　amount　so　paid。　　If　the　author　receive　ten　cents　a　copy　on　every　copy　sold；　the　publisher　must　add　that　ten　cents　to　the　price　he　charges。　　But　he　cannot　do　this　with　security；　because　the　book　can　be　immediately　reprinted　and　sold　without　any　such　addition　to　the　price。　　The　only　security　which　the　American　publisher　has　against　the　injury　which　may　be　so　done　to　him　is　the　power　of　doing　other　injury　in　return。　　The　men　who　stand　high　in　the　trade；　and　who　are　powerful　because　of　the　largeness　of　their　dealings；　can；　in　a　certain　measure；　secure　themselves　in　this　way。　　Such　a　firm　would　have　the　power　of　crushing　a　small　tradesman　who　should　interfere　with　him。　　But　if　the　large　firm　commits　any　such　act　of　injustice；　the　little　men　in　the　trade　have　no　power　of　setting　themselves　right　by　counter…injustice。　　I　need　hardly　point　out　what　must　be　the　effect　of　such　a　state　of　things　upon　the　whole　publishing　trade；　nor　need　I　say　more　to　prove　that　some　law　which　shall　regulate　property　in　foreign　copyrights　would　be　as　expedient　with　reference　to　America　as　it　would　be　just　toward　England。　　But　the　wrong　done　by　America　to　herself　does　not　rest　here。　　It　is　true　that　more　English　books　are　read　in　the　States　than　American　books　in　England；　but　it　is　equally　true　that　the　literature　of　America　is　daily　gaining　readers　among　us。　　That　injury　to　which　English　authors　are　subjected　from　the　want　of　protection　in　the　States；　American　authors　suffer　from　the　want　of　protection　here。　　One　can　hardly　believe　that　the　legislators　of　the　States　would　willingly　place　the　brightest　of　their　own　fellow…countrymen　in　this　position；　because；　in　the　event　of　a　copyright　bill　being　passed；　the　balance　of　advantage　would　seem　to　accrue　to　England。　Of　the　literature　of　the　United　States；　speaking　of　literature　in　its　ordinary　sense；　I　do　not　know　that　I　need　say　much　more。　　I　regard　the　literature　of　a　country　as　its　highest　produce；　believing　it　to　be　more　powerful　in　its　general　effect；　and　more　beneficial　in　its　results；　than　either　statesmanship；　professional　ability；　religious　teaching；　or　commerce。　　And　in　no　part　of　its　national　career　have　the　United　States　been　so　successful　as　in　this。　　I　need　hardly　explain　that　I　should　commit　a　monstrous　injustice　were　I　to　make　a　comparison　in　this　matter　between　England　and　America。　Literature　is　the　child　of　leisure　and　wealth。　　It　is　the　produce　of　minds　which　by　a　happy　combination