National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1880-04-09
THE pArEYr ooMM1ssroxERSn1p.
Some Forcibie Suggestions to Secretary
SChurz.

There Is a very strong desire on tho part of
inventors and patent attorneys that the pres
ent Commissioner, General Paine, should re-
consider his determination to resign, and re-
main at tue head of the Patent Office. This
grows partly out of an appreciation of the high
character of the official, his courteous and
honorable mode of conducting business, and
his personal popularity, and partly out of
feeling that the office should not be made tho
place for tho education aud training Of patent
attorneys. A prominent attorney of this city,
himself n graduate of the Patent Office, and
thoroughly conyersant with all the minutes of
its internal arrangements, has addressed let
ter to the Secretary of tho Interior suggesting
that If II be true that he contcmplates indors-
ing novice for the place, ho Is about to make
n serious mistake. Ho pays high compliment
to the personal character and legal ability Of
Mr.. Marble whose name has been mentioned
but whilo oheerfully conceding, he says;
Probably no siugle judge in the United States
trying patent causes IN our large cities has any
where near the amount of difficult matters TO dc.
eide that constantly burden the Commissioner OF
Patents, and that annually determine the course
of investment of millions Of capital the direction
of vast labor forces, and effect the progress of
American effort for the advancement OF useful
arts
| know and all others conversant with the nd.
lministrailon of the Patent Office know that new
| Commissioner unfamiliar With patent matters,
however excellent man and tolcrablo lawyer he
at the head Of the Office for considerable period
| as mere apprentice. No culture, ability or eXper-
| icnce outside Of patent matters can relieve him
from this attitude, and his frequent slips un-
| fortunately much more apparent aud distress.
| ing TO others than to himself All his
subordinates aud oil the practitioners before him
plainly see him at his disadvantage aud are yet
constrained 10 suppress their sense OF his manifest
unnness, and to acknowledge him, in form at
| least as head OF the Office. while inventors and
manufacturers must consciously or uncOnsciously
submit to tho discouraglng chances of his most
precarious judicial balance l can con-
| ceive of nothing more demoralizng TO civil
| service In tie Patent Once, and / speak not
| from opinion merely, but from repeated observn.
ton of tho experiment tried. assume 1t would
not ordinarily, he proposed to put nm inland
lawyer, without any considerable knowledge and
experience of admiralty law and practice, into
the Office of judge of an Important admiralty court
in great maritime city, and patent law Is even
more essentially and peculiarly difficult specially
than admiralty Jurisprudence.
The letter is quite lengthy, and presents the
case in most forcible manner. One danger
pointed out is that in tho absence oil
commissioner of experience and standing
from whom Congress eau ask advice, there is
danger of great deal of wild patch work
legislation that may make damaging inroads
upon the enlightened character OF our patent
| system.