The Rutland weekly globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1873-05-23

= ,,,,, roollv invent? Less, think, than
is generally thought lie may Apply some
Of ,,oterial or force in some new way, and
that II about all. While the mos, import
ant inventions of human genius vast IN
the rerms-hnyo never been patented at |
ALL Tubal Cain never got pateit for |
working iron, which is the greatest uVliz-
inc art known to man. | am not aware
that the inventor of printing Ill 'pe use OF
movable types an cart prcscrVatiVe OF all
arts"-cvcr got patent on bis luvaiion
Tho IIindoos Il is said, invented gun-pow-
der. and the Chinese the mariner compass,
and vet they hold no patents on either.
Now. an inventor of to-day, uses theiabOrs
of former times and other men, and owes
IN Them debt he never thinks of paying
and without those labors he would never
have thought of doing his The same re-
marks apply to book makers, who make
hooks out of other authors books. A copy
rirht may be granted for limited time, to
anthors-but the monopoly principle being
in IFS nature antagonistic to human rights,
must not be made perpetual cheerfully
Grant, NTessrs. Editors, That in relation to
inventors and authors, the principle of
MONOPOLY. in temporary application, is,
perhaps, the best use that ca be made of
it-until wiser legislation ..sll find out
some better way to reward mvenuVhn.Ana
and mental toll. But were not the 4Drnci
pie in and of itself at enmity with human
rights, no law-giyers-with thi1 0lefuI
of brains in their craniunissht5dItl ever
think of limiting its applicationto short
number of years. No-sreat essential hui
man rights can be thus made by lecflatior
or alienated It. Human rightp, If the
Declaration of Independence Il Authority
and not string of ''glittering generaiities' Al
Rufus Choate called it-''Human Rights,
sirs. are God given, and are IMAGINABLE,
and last more than 'sevcnteen years
Monopoles are not natural rights hdt expo
dients at best, and as creatures Of l3w, ma,
last one hour or seventeen years "a human
legislation may ordan.
A word as to authors of books. Origi
nal books are like CANCELS visits, few ant
far between. Most books, like the compo
sitions of school children, have been mad
to do service over and over again. SO witt
what we call our learning. 1t is borrowed
mainly from the prolific past, whose treas
ures of literature and science we inherit
not by merit, so much as by 'accldents o
: birth. Strike from the thesaurus of moder
knowledge all that we have borrowed fror
} those who have gone before us, and the Iii
tie we have actually contributed will pre-
t sent but "a beggarly account of empt
boxes" Why so much readiness to copy
a right stolen goods
i Finally. While / have to regret that
;, have not satisfied you that some of m
e positions are defensible, hsv;e tdcongrat
a ulate myself and the public thaiat leas
l. you seem to agree with me as to The legit
5 macy of my purposein writing on nonopC
T. lies, and that at the present time the pull
,e lie good is menaced with Their giganti
1t proportions, increasing greed, and corrupt
is ing influence, 50 much so, that hose whic
already exist should be kept if possibl
IF within reasonable bounds, and they should
10 hereafter, be sparingly authorized by law
:, and only then, with apple reservation
: to the creating power to guard the right
l. of the people from harm at their hands.
c COMMERCE