The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1875-09-16
Mr.. COATES, REPUBLICAN CANDE
DATE FOR 7HESENA TIE, RAKING
THE FARMERS.


P -
When patent rights are rTght, it is
proper the worthy inventors should be
fully and amply rewarded; but our peo-
pie know to their sorrow, sometimes,
that patent rights are fearful and outra-
geous swindles. We gave an instance
last week Of a ha,poOaiHg scheme against
the farmers in this section, many ofwhom
in our county have already paid, while
others have organized to resist.
The fact is, the patent laws now in
force do not fulfill the object of their
creation, but enable unscrupulous per-
sons to exact unreasonable demands
from the people. Few articles in daily
use by farmers and others are not made
more costly by patent fees or royalty paid
upon them worthy manufacturing estab-
lishments are in danger of being crushed
or crippled by owners Of patents bought
for a song, or seized and got by trick,
and used for extortion and injustice.
The farmer plows the ground with a
patent plow; harrows with a patent har-
row; plants with a patent drill harvests
with one Of hundred patent harvesters /;
threshes with a patent separator, and
hauls it to market, perhaps, in patent
wagon. Even his spade, pick, fork,
rake and hoe may come within the range,
and each add its little tribute to the vast
revenues of our patent kingsI
He goes to church in carriage with
its patent hub, spoke, spring, shaft and
top. He eats from patent table, and
sleeps on a patent bed. When in health,
in his work, business, rest and recreation,
he is made the victim of patent swindles
in some of their innumerable forms /;
until, sick of the whole business, he is
doctored to death with patent medicine,
and is taken to his long home in pat
ent coffin, and thereafter, it is hoped,
goes to a kingdom, where mammon rules
not and patents are unknown.
Without discussing this question at
length, we ask the farmers of Stark and
Carroll if they can afford to justify and
sanction this patent humbug and mo-
nopoly business in any shape or form2
Mr.. AMOS w. COATES, Republican
candidate for the State Senate in this
district, is a manufacturer of horse hay
rakes at Alliance, and as such, we have
nothing to say against him; but he
claims to own a patent on horse rakes,
and claiming monopoly he seeks to
drive out of the business every manufac-
turer who completes with him. A year
or two since a firm in Massillon began
making rakes. They bought the right
to make from the owner, as they sup
posed, but Mr.. Coates, by injunction,
shut them up. Of course this prevents
competition and gives Mr.. Coates mo-
nopoly.
IfMr. Coates urges his right under and
before the law, the farmers can exercise
their lawful right at the polls. AS we
understand the people are scrutinizing
these matters nowadays, and are dis
posed to vote for friends and against mo-
nopoly.
We know nothing about the merits Of
Mr. Coatess controversy with the Mas
sillon firm, but we do know that farmers
have no interest in sustaining a man who
makes it his special business to make
farm implements costly. We have been
told that Coates will not settle with the
Massillon firm at any price. He wants
no competition. He has made fortune
out of the farmers, but wants more.
He shut up concern in Orrville, and
threatens one in New Philadelphia. Can
farmers afford to put such man in place
and power. The honest farmers of our
county are awake to such matters just
now, owing to the harpoon hay fork
grab, We rather think they are disposed
to vote down all such grabs and grab
bers.
We intend making inquiries into the
Coates horse hay rake patent, and may
have more to say about such crusade
business.