Ward, Locke & Co., more than any other house, showed a
disposition to treat me fairly. Increasing sums were given for
successive books. Recently Mr. George Locke visited me, and
offered liberal compensation for each new novel. He also agreed to
give me five per cent copyright on all my old books published by
him, no matter how obtained, in some instances revoking agreements
which precluded the making of any such request on my part. In the
case of many of these books he has no protection, for they are
published by others; but he takes the simple ground that he will
not sell any of my books without giving me a share in the profit.
Such honorable action should tend to make piracy more odious than
ever, on both sides of the sea. Other English firms have offered
me the usual royalty, and I now believe that in spite of our House
of Mis-Representatives at Washington, the majority of the British
publishers are disposed to deal justly and honorably by American
writers. In my opinion, the LOWER House in Congress has libelled
and slandered the American people by acting as if their
constituents, with thievish instincts, chuckled over pennies saved
when buying pirated books.
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