Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1869-07-29
Herbert Spencer OH the Patent
Right Question.

We would call special attention To th,
following suggestions to the rights and
| privileges Of inventors, which seems to N
70 be the true ground to place il upon
and cnincutly just 10 the original par.
| ties. Their claims are often overlooked
and cast aside, but no candid reader can
fail 10 sec tho peculiar fitness of Mr.
5penceraposition. The following IL taken
from the last issuo Of the Scientific
American
One Of tho ablcst thinkers Of the age l.
Mr.. Herbert Spencer, Whose writings have
perhaps had as much influence upon
modern opinion IA those Of any living
author. Ho dirposes of the patent-riyht
question IA follows:
As already remarked, it is common
notion, and one more especially peryad
ing the operative classes, that the excu-
siye use by it, discoverer OF any new or
improved mode of production is a species
Of monopoly, in the sense in which that
word is conventionally used To. let Il
man have the benefit accruing from the
employment of some more efficient
machine, or better process invented by
him; and to allow no other person to
adopt and apply for his own advantage
the same plan, they hold to be an injus-
tice. Nor are there wanting philanthrophic
and even thinking men, who con-
slider that the valuable idea originated by
ndividuals-ideas which may be of great
national advantage-should be taken out
of private hands and thrown open to the
public at large.
And pray, gentlemen, an inventor
may fairly reply, why may not | make
the same proposal respecting your goods
and chattels, your clothing, your houses,
your railway shares. and your money in
the funds If you are right in the inter-
probation you give to the term monopoly
| do not see why that term should not be
applied to the coats on your backs and
the provisions on your dinner-tables.
With equal reason | might argue that YOU
unjustly 'monopolize' your furniture, and
that you ought not in equity to have the I
exclusive use of so many apartments. Ii
national advantage is to be the supreme
rule, why should we not appropriate your
wealth, and the wealth of others like you,
to the liquidation of the state debt True,
as you say, this capital, on the interest OF
WHICH you huDslsC was acquired by
years of tolls the reward of per-
'evering industry: well, / may say
he like of this machine. While YOU
we're gathering profits, was collect
ns IDEAS the time you spent in coming
he prices current was employed by me in
studying mechanics /; your speculations
n new articles OF merchandise answer to
ny experiments, many of which were
,ostly and fruitless when you were
writing out your accounts, / was making
lrawings and the same perseverance,,
thought, and toll, which en-
Ibled you to make fortune, have enabled
ne to complete my invention. Like your
wealth, 1t represents so much accumulate
abor and am living upon the profits
t produces me, just as you are living
lpon the interest of your invested saw :
ngs. Beware then, how you question my
lain. If l am monopolist, so also
reyou so also is every man. If
have no right to these products of my
rain, neither have you to those Of your
lands ; no one can become the sole owner
t any article whatever, and all property
) robbery"
EATEN UP BY LIoNs.-Chas White,
he lion tanner travelling with Thaycrs
lenagerie, was actually eaten up by the 4
ons on the night Of the 10th, in d small +