National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1886-01-04
Inventors Exposition of Working
Models.

There is q very large amount of money
in the treasury Of the United States which
has been collected from inventors in the
shape Of fees cXacted from applicants
for patents. Instead of cXpending the
gross amount of receipts in the mainte-
nance Of the patent office, increasing its IA
cilities and advantages and making it a
better guide and more potential stimulantto to
invention, large balance o. receipts, in
excess Of expenditures, has been annually
deposited in the treasury.
Thus the government has assumed the
right to put a tax or penalty on invention,
and make this branch of the public service
tributary to the support of departments
which yield no income. 1t is a fact which
has heretofore been noted In these columns
that departments which bring in no returns
at all are supported with degree Of liberal
ity entirely unknown in the management of
the patent Office. Because this office was
intended to be self-supporting-a agency
managed by ths government in the interest
Of inventors and the general public--COn-
gress has acted ON the theory that it ought
10 be made source Of profit, and has,
therefore, failed to eXpend the money taken
from inventors in promoting the great in
This is as unjust as It would be to impose
excessive postage, and get surplus from
the Postoflce Department to support the
army. Nor Is its injustice its worst char
acteristic. 1t is fatal policy to tax the
inventive genius of the country, to make it
pay penalties, and This is precisely what
Congress has been doing for good many
years.
Invention is not a misdemeanor, inyen-
reverse this pOlicy--to eXpend the money
that has accrued and that may hereafter ac-
crue on grand and comprehensive enter
prise for the encouragement Of invention
and for the education Of the people In the
scientific and mechanical progress already
achieved. Let the fees of the patent Office
remain as now fixed by law, and let all the
constantly increasing income be utilized
for the stimulation Of thought, the sug-
gestion Of new paths of progress, the pos
sililites that one mans triumph suggests
10 the mind Of another, so that our great
temple Of invention may enter upon Il
broader field of usefulness and become
what 1t ought to be-the great mechanical
educator, not only of the United States,
but Of all the nations of the world.
The NATIONAL REPUBLICAN proposes the
establishment, by act of Congress, of
a new temple dedicated to inventive
genius, in which motive power, shaft
ing, and all appliances necessary for
the running Of machinery shall be fur
nisLed free Of cost. Inventors or owners
of patents should be invited to set up
working models in this bullding-or in any
Of the numerous buildings that would
eventually be required,
For motive power the current Of the
Potomac river is all that could be desired.
Under patents already issued the River and
Rail Electric Light Company could make
the Potomac generate electricity sufficient
TO run miles of machinery and light Wash
iLgton or any mumherof cities. The source
Of power Is practically ineXhaustible the
means Of transmission and storage adequate
for any purpose.
Here at our feet, IN this beautiful river,
we have the silent but almost omnipotcnt
cgncy which can readily be made to gene
rate all the force needed to carry out this
EcLcfcCIt idca-an idea whose value is
almost incOnceiyable, whose magnitude as
fumes grander and grander proportions as
il Is made the subject Of intelligent study.
II there he one thing more important
than any other in the progress of invention
il Is to bring the dreamy, self-absorbcd in
yoHtor-thc man who moves among men
unconscious of their existence, whose very
soul seems To have gone out Of him, so in
ttIt Is he on the one object to which he has
given his life-into closer relations with
practical business men and business meth
CCs. Many noble intellects are wasted,
many lives that might have been great are