The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-05-19

men and The people IN general are crying
aloud against monoplies OF all sorts, brief
glance at one Ingenious species of extortion
may prove not only interesting but useful.
1t is story of q sewing machine. and it may
be stated as general and preliminary truth
that there is no more prolific source
swindling the American public than this
same thrifty mechanism. Look now. An
Inventive Chicagoan devised what is known
among men, and women, too, and for that
matter women most, as the fast attachment.
He got it patented. In the meantimea "rins"
OF sewing machine manufacturers, disregard
ing this previous patent, applied for the
same patent and were unsuccessful. They
continued however to use 1t, In spite of
their defeat since they could do so with inn
punity, the original patentee being very
poor and unable to sustain 90 many continu
GUS suits. He however sold portions of his
patent and these had been gradually bought
up by the Wilson Sewing MachineC Company,
and they finally obtained q new patent for
an extended term. At last, AFTER fourteen
years of struggle, the original patentee
found himself without . patent, or any in
come from it. while his adversaries
were annually -~resping large sums
in the way of royalties for
every machine made in the country. Som
years ago congress again extended this pat
profitable than those OF the eye
and ear ao treatment. The records
Of ophthalmic hospitals and blind
asylum throughout the country show hun
dreds of cases of persons who have become
partly or totally blind through such quack-
ent and now it is again importuned to still
further sanction this monopoly. A CORES
pendent writing to the New York Tribune
on this subject, SAYS: 1 20 u-l
By means OF this swindle of extended patents,
contrary to law and decency, the people of this
country are compelled to pay not less than
IS 10000 per annum more than would be neces-
legislation through congress. About four years
ago, the way by which this was q accomplished
pecame kh dS, 70 me writer; One HUNDRED
the agent, who went to Washington, and placed
the money, as the Credit Mobilier stock was put,
the object, and the patent was extended.
Thus it is seen that there is perhaps. no
greater legslized swindle in this country to-
day, than the sewing machine monopoly
Then it is remembered that the original
patent for the principle sewing machine is
free; that the proprietors Of six or
eight different machines have COM
bined their resources to permit
no manufacturer to use the "Wilson feed, %
and that the actual cost of Q sewing machine
Of any design does not exceed I'll each, Il
will be seen to what an enormous degree of
robbery this business In carried on. Indeed,
it is q fact that any machine now sold
for less than 500 in this coun-
try could be profitably sold for from twenty
i've to thirty-five dollars; in fact, the same
machines which sell here for from fifty to
ninety dollars have been exported and profit
ably sold in England at from twenty-five to
thirty-five dollars. OF course these exorbit-
ant prices are sustained to some ex-
tent by the presence of numerous
agents and middle-men, but there is no good
reason to-day why the people of this country
should practically pay s6,OOO,OOO as a royalty
on this "Wilson feed" improvement. 1t is a
fraud, but if it succeeds before congress
again it will not ne the first monopoly which
has been granted by that virtuous and
highly disinterested pody of public servants.