not now exceed an annual million. Let Congress then pass an act
appropriating that sum to be distributed among foreign authors whose works
had been, or might be republished here. _That_ should have the writer's
vote, but he objects, and will continue to object, to any legislative
action that shall tend towards giving to already "great and wealthy"
publishing houses the _nine_ millions that they certainly will charge for
collecting the single _one_ that is to go abroad.

"Great and wealthy" as they are here said to be, and as they certainly
are, we are assured that even they have serious troubles, against which
they greatly need to be protected. In common with many heretofore
competing railroad companies they have found that, however competition
among themselves might benefit the public, it would tend rather to their
own injury, and therefore have they, by means of most stringent rules,
established a "courtesy" copyright, the effect of which exhibits itself in
the fact, that the prices of reprinted books are now rapidly approaching
those of domestic production. Further advances in that direction might,
however, prove dangerous; "courtesy" rules not, as we are here informed,
being readily susceptible of enforcement. A salutary fear of interlopers
still restrains those "great and wealthy houses," at heavy annual cost to
themselves, and with great saving to consumers of their products. That
this may all be changed; that they may build up fortunes with still
increased rapidity; that they may, to a still greater extent, monopolize
the business of publication; and, that the people may be taxed to that
effect; all that is now needed is, that Congress shall pass a very simple
law by means of which a few men in Eastern cities shall be enabled to
monopolize the business of republication, secure from either Eastern or
Western competition. That done, readers will be likely to see a state of
things similar to that now exhibited at Chicago, where railroad companies
that have secured to themselves all the exits and entrances of the city,