Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1882-06-30

grown III tulh tuuulig3 hui loI thb buEui Au-
finors that we should mako our own sugar
and we may expect the ono to condemn the tea
as worthless, and the other TO say that tho
syrup will not granulato. Another class take the
narrow view that IL is Especial legislation"
simply for the benefit of the farmer while
the advocates of the measure believe that the
Commissioner, as member of the cabinet,
will have larger influence and secure larger
appropriations for the department that II may
be better able to successfully conduct the ex-
periments already commenced and inaugurate
others, and that tho result will be a more va
riod and larger production by the agricultural
class, and so benefit the tohOle people. Posi-
bly, some members of Congress voted for the
bill for tho reason that their terms Of Office
are drawing to close and they had an eye to
the farmers vote. If this Is true 1 am graft
fed to know it, for heretofore the farmer has
not been considered of much account In the
making of nominations, but has been reckon
cd as sure to vote for tho nominee of his
party.
Tho same motives are attributed to con-
gressmen for the passage of the Burrows
patent bill, which is in tho interest of not
only farmers, but of the people generally
except patent-right lawyers. 1t is said that
members voted for it to please their constit-
uents, knowing that the senator's who are
farther removed from the influence OF the
people, would not allow il to become law.
speak of these two bills in connection, as
both, think, originated with the farmers,
and would not have passed the House but for
their frequent and urgent petitions and yet
l will do our congressman the credit to be-
lieve that it was not the farmers vote" but
the merits of the bills which caused their
passage. The Burrows patent bill" exempts
the purchaser when he buys in open market
and leaves the patented and the manufacturer
to fight it out aud this is as it should be.
OF course there is a great stir among the
patentees and patent-right lawyers, the latter
denouncing the bill as unconstitutional; and
it is no wonder they futter, for these LAWYERS
as class, are noted for their exorbitant fees
Not being constitutional lawyer, 1 will
not attempt to answer their pleas but let US
consider the equity of the matter. There are
said to DO over 800, 900 patents in force in
this country, and is it to be supposed that the
average farmer or citizen can tell whether
every article offered him is patented? Often
the seller of an article has patent which he is
ready to show his customer, and it may be
an infringement on some other patent. How
is the purchaser to know Must he consult a
patent-right attorney ? and how much wiser
will he then be, whom it takes years for the
courts to decide q case when aided CD by the
ablest counsel Government, by issuing
patents which are an infringement on other
patents directly aids the patentoe to swindle
the innocent purchaser. Our patent laws, as
at present administered, are n disgrace to our
government, and If the combined wisdom of
Congress cannot remodel them in a form to
do justice to the innocent purchaser as well
as the patentee, they had better appoint COM
missioners to examine the question, as with
the tariff. believe the inventor or owner
of patent should be protected from that ir-
responsible class of manufacturers who rob
the patentee by Infringement and who, I'M
der the slow process of law of our present
system, are enabled to flood tho country with
their wares before any decision can be reached
by the courts. Amend the law SO that the
patentee can, through the courts, obtain an
injunction within thirty or sixty days, re-
straining the irfringer of the patent from
manufacturing, putting both parties under
bonds for damages awaiting the decision of
the courts. A law of this kind will meet the
ends of justice and be welcomed by the pat
entee as well as the purchaser; but the pat
ent-right lawyer will be shorn of a large
amount of his business, and the irresponsible
manufacturers will have to shut up shop
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