The workingman's advocate., 1870-12-03
THE SINGER PATENT.

II has long oeen question witt
some Of the most advanced minds, both
II Europe and America, whether tht
public interests would not be subseryer
by the entire abolition OF the patenz
system as It at present exists in bott
countries. There certainly is no doub,
that It tends to build up some of tn,
mostoppressive Pnd iniquitou> monopo
hes, and enriches the few at the el
4se.ot the many; nan x6fie2 die in nine case
out Of ten, the object for which II %as
estabhshed-to secure to the inventor
a Just remuneration for his time an
services-iS entirely lost sight Of; as,
III nine cases ont Of ten, he Is detrauG-
ed out Of the fruits Of his labor. Tie
history Of the labor-saving inventiois
OF tie past twenty-five years will proYe
this statement 10 be correct, and also
that The renewal If most Of the patents
which Save been secured during tie
same period has been obtained through
fraud or corruption.
We are pleased to see, however a
growing disposition to check this eyal
and refuse compliance with the De.
mands oft those corporations who, heIe-
toiore, have made our Legislators thiir
willing tools. From our exchanges we
learn that the Commissioner of Paterts
has declined to renew the Singer pat
ent; and although il may be years he-
fore the public will receive the full ben
Ell Of such refusal, if followed up, it
will certainly end the monopoly of sae
Singer, Grover e Baker and Wheeser
d Wilson manufacturing companies,
which have heretofore been enabled
not only 70 monopolize the trade, Int
also virtually to drive every other in-
ventor from the field Every member
OF each Of these companies Eas
amassed princely fortune, and there
Is certainly y no reason why a seamtress,
dependent on her labor for her daily
bread, should longer he compelled to
pay S65 for necessity, the cost of
whose utacture does not exceed
sl7. We insist ii is the duty of the
State-as the guardian of the peopte's |
nghts--to place its veto upon such i'm
mIu9ated swindles, and the soonet il |
does 20 the better for the entire com
munity.
i N. Singer, like a good many other
so-caIIed public benefactors, grew r;ch
~ a fictitious reputation and an inyen.
tIon with which he had comparatively
little 70 do Two-thirds Of the S.. .oloO..
900 OF S4,OOO,OOO, which he now los.
sesses, was wrung from the poorest
class in the community, those who we're
too often compelled by necessity to
exc out a mere miserable existence, bv
the aid Of the midnight lamp. And
yet he is but fair representative ofhis |
class. Elias Howe. who invented or
who claimed to invent the needle, with
the eye at The point, which every ha-
chime manufactured is compelled to
uae' by the aid Of our patent laws,
levied tribute Of IS upon each sewing
machine manufactured in the UI$ted
states, and although he has long gone
- hS account, his successors are ,.tiu
entitled to this iniquitous tax.
II y under such circumstance. Al.
these that The attention Of INA A,.a1.
can people have recently been dirested
70 a system which is building Nd a kuob
system ofmouopolies, and. have ,:-er,
reason e believe ere long that i wa be
~ modified, that the just objeca for
which ii was established will be &C. |
cured, NJ falling in this that it viz be.
'"o' thiog of the past.