National Republican., 1884-04-01
Senator Plat Urges That 1t be Made a
Separate Department
Statistics Showing the Value to the
Country Of Inventive Genius.
More Room and Larger Force Needed 10 Properly
Perform the Increasing Work.
Mr.. Bland Argues Strongly Against the
Trade Dollar Bill.
TIE SENATE.


transmit to tho senate certain information re-
lating to star route attorneys for which the senate
had previously called. Tho communication OF
the attorney general states that there had beon
neither neglect nor refusal to furnish the infor-
nation, but that he had on more than one occa-
sion informed both houses of congress that the
clerical force OF his department was insufficient
TO supply promptly tho copies Of voluminous
papers called for by them: that the present force
was overwhelmed with work. The attorney gene
raj repeats his former request for an increase OF
the clerical force.
He states, however. that as n matter Of fact, he
advanced the resolution of January 90, out of It's
regular order because he was anxious to furnish
the information requested and that by requiring
some of the employees to work after Office hours
inting to the subject copied and hopes to be able
to forward them to the senate with his reply to the
The following bills were reported favorably
from committees and placed on the calendar:
By MT. Malone, from the @ comInittee on public
the erection Of public buildings at Chattanooga,
Tenn, opelousas, La, Troy, N. Y, and Portland,
by Mr.. Miller OF Now York. from the committee
on agriculture and forestry: The bill to provide
headwaters Of tho Missouri river, and at the head
waters and Clark's fork Of the Columbia river.
BY Mr.. jackson, from the committee ON claims
The bill providing for the relief of the Citizens
bank OF Louisiana.
Mr.. Cameron, OF Wisconsin, gave notice that
sent views dissenting from those of the majority
with regard to this bill.
hundred citizens Of Racine, Wis. remonstrating
against the passage OF the bills pending before
congress injurousy affecting the Interests of In.
Bills were, introduced ana appropriately re-
BY Mr. Dolph Making appropriation to pay the
expenses Of the commission to explore the ter
rltory of Alaska.
By Mr.. Butler: To authorize the secretary Of
war to loan to the Richland volunteer rifle COM
plny, Of Columbus, S. c. ffty-three breech-oad.
BY Mr.. jackson: To authorize the increase of
the capital stock of the First National bank Of
BY Mr.. Mahone: To allow drawback on i'm
ported materials used i'll manufactured tobacco
snuff and cigars exported from the United states
some remarks on IT, his bill providing for the
organization of tho patent Office into d separate
The establishment of the patent Office Mr.
Platt said, marked the beginning of the develop
ment of the marvellous resources of the country
development which had become the admiral ion
and wonder of the world, and which had had no
parallel in history. This development had not
only been dependent on, but coincident with the
growth and development of the patent system
II was the industrial development OF a people
people ever acquired any high standing among
the nations of the earth. IT was only as thought
that solid wealth and strength was deVeoped a IN
nation Especially was this TO be seen In a repub-
lie. whose thought was free. with no despotlc or
arbitrary checks upon the inventive genius of its
people. If invention were subtraced from the
developing causes of American prosperity we
switzerland. and Russia. II knowledge was
power, invention was prosperity Up to
nations had been looked for only through
war and diplomacy; industrial development had
mot been dTe%ed Of Invention h$d
by arms or diplomacy. Mr.. Platt quoted from
figures figures TO- show the growth OF patents in Ga the
1887 was l00 600, the number from 1887 to 1854 was
100000. 10 show how invention had increased
quoted iihelally from statistics showing among
other facts, the following: The aggregate amount
$50 was one Billion Dollars III in $50 il was tS over M
five billion dollars. The aggregate wealth Of the
United states in 1850 was s7,0Oo0OOOOO; in 1880 it
was Si3, ,0O)0 100000. The value OF improved farms
in the United States in 1850 was SO, OOOOOO in
1850 was over $1,000 100000. Before the inven-
ton OF tue cotton gin man could clean cotton at
the rate of only four pounds day, the machile
did the work at the rate OF 1000 pounds day
The Locomotives in use in the United States at the
present day represented the power of 3O,O0O,OOO
horses. The cotton mills of the world made 6,OOJ.
goo miles OF cotton cloth every year, which would
furnish a band seyenty-hye feet wide from the
earth to the moon
Referring, to the complaint that invention
worked against the interests of labor, Mr.. Plat
said IL was nn uniounded complaint. There was
no destruction of labor by invention but read
justnent of labor, and the men released from the
old class of labor were not degraded but were In
troduced TO higher and more productive en-
piSyment, IN (which which not lt only were their muscles
sharpened by the contact with the wonderful
machines which they came to operate. Neither
BOOK eans Mr. Pt BssSed pR% 9Ga
a mau who had learned the intrcaces OF a fine
machine had acquired as much learning as he
who had learned TO conjugate Greek verb
Comparing m the productive capacity of American
operatives with the operatives q other countries,
dusrial progress of the world, showing that the
factory operative Of Germany produced each year
and the operative of the United States s., 800.
BY these figures It appeared that the American
factory operative produced an annual value 40
per cent greater than that of the European opera.
five OF the highest productive capacity, for the
Erench operative produced less than the English
Plat ascribed to the greater skill acquired as
result of the American patent system, and the
superior INGENUITY OF American inventors. lie
read from various authorities to show the superior
character OF ne properly rights to which inven
the ordinary right of property-superior TO the
right OF Inheritance OF gilt, of commercial in.
fully as a work of signal power in literature was
tho work of an authors brain And the produce
tion Of this class Of property was enormously on
the Increase We had gone but comparatively
short way in what is destined to be It's develop
ment We had but gathered few pebbles along
the shore Of the great ocean of invention. Men
had, of old, been looking for the philosophers
stone that turned everything into gold. There
piers stone, aud that WIS the brain of man. If
The United States were stripped of every vestage
Provisions, the country would live and prosper
and single generation would reproduce all the
lost wealth.
After treating the question in the broad Mr.
Plat took up the immediate subject of his bill He
adduced many considerations tI show the neCes-
sy for n reorganization of the patent Office for
an increase in its working force, or larger accom-
modntOus for the transaction of tue business
naturally connected with tho work of examining
and granting applications for patents. 10 illus.
trate tie UverCrowded condition of the business at
the present time, he said that If man invented a
new machine relating TO agriculture. II would be
eight months before his application could be
passed upon. He attached no blame to the patent
office employees, or to the department of tho in-
terror, but insisted that the inventors of the cOun-
try were entitled TO better treatment than under
the preseut system II was possible to give them,
They had contributed more than any other class
Of men to the wealth, prosperity, aud progress Of
the country The patent office was the only de-
partinent of the government that absolutely paid
Its own way, and instead OF continuing the prdC-
tie of small appropriations, cramped quarters,
and defective system that threw discourage
ments in their way there should bG large and lib
eral appropriations, ample working room, and
suhlclent sian of experts to dispose promptly and
ju,iciously OF all applications that may be sent in
On the conclusion of Mr. Plats remarks the
senate, on motion of Mr. Plumb went into eXeGu-
i've session, and when AT o'clock p. M, the doors
were reopened adjourned.
THE HOUSE.
Mr.. Beach, from the committee on public
health reported back resolution directing that
n - a,l,,I