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Our Exchanges.

The St. Louis Stationer, of which No. 2 has reached us, is the latest and not the least of the trade journals in the United States. It contains forty-eight large quarto pages, in a colored wrapper, and is liberally supported by advertisers. The title on the wrapper is an ingenious combination of wood-engraving, rule-twisting, and typography. On the subject of international copyright, the Stationer is « against monopolies in state and nation. » A paper by Mr E. Ennis on this subject occupies a prominent place and is full of very obvious fallacies. He first demonstrates that literary work is public property, and that original thinkers and writers are bound to give and are not entitled to sell the result of their thought and labor. (This is no exaggeration—his words are: « Words once uttered, like the Hashing lightning, should belong to humanity. You might as well sell water or fresh air as ideas or thoughts. » ) This is very fine, and it fully justifies the action of any one thirsting for knowledge who should choose to rob a bookseller's shop. A finished literary work is an embodied idea, no doubt—so is a minted com. A printed poem consists of « words once uttered » —so does a bank-note, and the former no more « belongs to humanity » than does the latter. Infringement of copyright is theft, and as vulgar and wicked as any other dishonesty, however it may be veiled in fine language. International copyright he compares with American slavery and finds it the greater evil, as « tending to enslave the mind. » But with grand inconsistency, he would have a strict copyright for American authors, whose productions, apparently do not « belong to humanity. » « If he [the author] be a foreigner and wants protection in our market in which to sell his productions, let him become a citizen of our free republic » &c, &c, &c. This is good, with all the empty talk about humanity—which is invariably to be found associated with the narrowest and most selfish local prejudices. The (foreign) author may starve and die, and the world may lose the benefit of his ripest thought; but « humanity » does not profit, except in the individual person of the Yankee pirate.—The same paper contains the curious alphabet of the Cherokee language, constructed, as is well known, by a native (partly of European descent), who had never been taught to read or write, but who had come into possession of some printed and written papers, and had formed an idea of their use. Roman letters, figures, scroll marks, often reversed, inverted, or turned sidewise, compose this unique alphabet of seventy-five characters, which in type, is suggestive of the Fonetic Nuz.—An original article on the « Modern Newspaper, » foreshadows the abolition of the leading article, and the scientific and literary essay department, and the complete surrender of the columns to the reporter, the telegraph agency, and the advertiser. « Essays and editorials will be confined to magazines and trades papers. » There is much force in the suggestion. The modern daily of the colonies, and still more the overgrown weekly reprint, with its news, its essays, its politics, its sermons, its prize-fight department, its sporting « tips, » its reviews, its poetry, its science (?),—is a monstrosity. It is elevating in one page, and demoralizing in another. It aims at universality, and fails in every department. It is enormously expensive in production, contains hundreds of columns, and every reader wading through interminable wastes to find what interests himself, declares there is « nothing in it. » Every day literature is becoming more specialized, and the younger journalists of to-day will probably live to see the « mammoth » daily and weekly sheets now in vogue become as extinct as the beast whose name they bear.

The American Art Printer No. 3 follows very quickly on the last to hand, but is dated as far back as May-June, 1888. It contains a finely-printed two-page supplement, exhibiting fine qualities of black and colored printing-inks, a beautiful portrait in stipple, and a fine specimen of rule-and-color work produced in the publisher's office. Four business cards are shown and criticised; the first strikes us as the best; but there are seven workings in register—a somewhat expensive job. As an exponent of the progress of high-class printing in the United States, the Art Printer takes a leading position.

The American Lithographer and Printer for 27th October, contains title-page and an exhaustive index. This paper occupies a deservedly high position in technical journalism.

The Inland Printer for November contains over eighty quarto pages. It is full of practical articles and fine plates illustrating new engraving processes. Two remarkable specimens of rule-work and color-printing appear in this issue, the editor having offered handsome premiums for the best examples.

The Printers' Bulletin, the organ of the Boston Typefoundry, contains well-engraved portraits of Messrs Schraubstädter & St. John, of the Central Foundry, and of the late Mr J. K. Rogers. Brief biographies accompany the portraits. It also shows some new styles of type—noted elsewhere.

Paper and Press for November contains notes of several important inventions in various branches of the art, to which we intend to devote some space at an early date.

The B. and V. Printer and Stationer contains a forcible article signed « J., » entitled « A Plea for Art in Letterpress Printing. » He advocates the cultivation of taste in typography, and the education of printers in the use of types. Typo is not alone in the crusade for « the advancement of the art of printing. » « A Talk about Type » is an interview with Mr A. Sauvé, the new London typefounder. He says the English founders « create very few new faces. The vast majority are copies of what are produced abroad. » He says a good deal about standards, but does not enlighten us as to his own.

The Export Journal of Leipzig, has been awarded a Silver Medal at the International Competition in Brussels. The honor is well deserved.

The Copenhagen Typografiske og Litho-grafiske Meddelelser (an unwieldy title!) comes out with a new design on the wrapper, which is printed in tints. The whole paper is marked by neatness of composition and good presswork. It contains some very good engravings by the « Liimtype » process of Prof. Husnik, Prague.