New-York tribune., 1886-03-18
possible such catastrophcs as that which ha
inst occurred
4 CHOJCE or MONOPOLIES.

pcnse of the stock -lObDinR IWfS. II uIHCu7'CS
briefly the two main grounds upon winch the
Government suit against the Bell Telephone
Company is to he based. One is the allegation
that Philip Rcisinvcntcd the telephone Gnd no.
body could properly get patent for 1t and the
other is the charge that Elisha Gray invented 1t
and that Bell fraudulently got a patent to
| which he was not entitled. The first ground of
action has been travc1s,d so often in the courts
with the universal result of maintaining Bells
claim that Tbc San considevs 1t safe to regard
that question as settled. The Government can
only hone for success in invalidatlng the exist
! ing patents by proving that Gray was right
| fulIv entitled TO them and was dcfraudcd by
| Bell and the Patent Office If it makes out its
case if will not break up the telephone mOnop-
| DIV. but only substitute one monopoly for an
other. The SIN forecasts the consequences;
The fact IA that several years Elisha Gray sold out
his Interest in the telephone invention both that whc
he owned at the time and any that might atcrward
accrue TO him from inventions Of Lis own OF from
any other crcun stance to the Western Union Company
receiving in return stock for which he realized about
100000 cash. II now, after all that has happehed
Elisha Gray should out to be really entitled to the
telephone patcnt, it would not be his but would oeohg
10 the Western Union am: thus chiefly to Mr. Jay Gould
This seems rather cOmical considering that the oppos'
n 10 Bells patent has very much inspired by rear
| and aulmo,ty against Mr.. Gould There are great
many funny things In tha conflicts ani complications ot
pacnt cases especially If President OF the United
States takes hand IN them
There are, indeed but nothing funnicr than
the plight of venal journals like The Ijmes IN
being hoist by its own petard. 1t has been
clamoring for Government proceedings on the
ground that the Bell company is an odlous
monopoly grounded upon hard ami robbery.
Yet if those proceedings can be conducted to a
successful issue, the Western Union Telegraph
COMPANY with Mr.. Gould at its head will
monopOize the telephone business. The silly,
noundering iRcS in attempting to break down
one monopoly is helping to build up another
and to strengthen tine hands Of Mr. Gould.
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! EN-Alderman Dempsey says he has rheumatism
| Ex-Aldcman Miller calls 1t heart disease. Why
not make a general classification and call II the
| Broadway rabies
Tie Kipqs'on Frcem1a talks cncouragingly Of the
ice crop. lee cutting on the Hudson FOR the season
! practically ended last Saturday and the yield has
been 50 large that there little prospect OF hlEh
prices prevailing next summer me frc'ma" re-
ports the quantity of ice held by all the companies
! at =. 500, 600 tons. which Is about 100000 tons
short of the storing capacity OF the houses along
| the river.
The kind Of representative government which
! produces men like Jaehne is sham. But the
people are responsible fol it-never lose sight OF
| that fact.
Mr. Jacob LOrllard, the Harlem River Bridge
Commiss, oner. tells reporter that the man who
Will build the best bridge in the shortest time for
the least money will get the contract" Public
opinion when voiced by resoute newspaper is GER
tany strong power. 1t IS only few weeks since
Mr. Ior!llard was assisting in giving the contract
away without any guarantee for these reasonable
conditions.
The right to pass franchise the Mayors
veto should be promptly taken away from the
Aldermen.
All street railway franchises should be disposed
of at public auction to the responsible company
which offers the highest percentage of gross rcceiptS
for the city treasury. That is the only safe and
just way.
state Senator Pagan. who seems to possess an
inqui1ing mind, has been making various efforts to
find out all about the Dock Department. lie is in
formed by the Commissioners of Accounts that 1t
would require full month of hard work by theIr
entire force TO compile the statistics he requires,
and if their reply omits the remark that they have
their own opinion of country member with
curious mind who would put them to 50 much
trouble it is probably for a conventional reason.
Mr.. Pagan, how ever, is not to be deferred by the
fact that other people will have to work hard to
carry out hIs wishes. He considers the COmmls-
s.ouers reply an evasion and he says he will pres
emily move an investigation of the Dock Depart
ment We must agree with the Commissioners 30
far as to think Senator Fagan's demands little
unreasonable. His resolution was too general. lie
probably knows what he Is trying 10 get at and he
shDuld be more definite. If he is simply cruising
around with the idea that he may find in somo old
dustheap something 10 make capital from, he might
as we'll be treated with polite GOODNESS. lnyestlga-
tons are costly and usually ruitcss and before Mr.
Fagans resolution goes far, he should state plainly
what ho is alter
If the President were to spend little spare time
reading the Constitution of the United States-a
most admirable work-he would learn that the Gov
eTnment Is not his private property.
ut was a rule of the office" says Alderman
Jaehne regarding his }rOOme-st. place to melt the
silver as soon as receiN ed" This indicates how
great was Mr.. Jaehnes confidence in the line OF
business he engaged in.
The decidedly radical not to say revolutionary
proposition to abandon Fast Day" is being agI-
tated IN Boston. The Rev Mr Savage, who fayor5
the abandonment. asserts in an interview that the
people of my acquaintance make Fast Day Il time
of recreation and generally eata bigger dinner than
usual, instead Of fasting No doubt Fast Day has
outlivcd It's usefulness but II Is doubtful If Boston
decides 10 strike 1t from the calendar For let IN !
noyatIon gain foothoi and where is the line to be
drawnl The iconoclasis who begin by warning |
against Fast Day are likely TO end by crying that !
the Bean must go.