Omaha daily bee., 1888-03-21
The Reli Tolerhone Pntents sustained.

The Bell Telephone Patents Sustained.
The decision OF the supreme court OF
the United States, sustaining the Bell
telephone patents, removes from contro-
versy for a time, aud perhaps perma-
nently, an issue that has engaged the
attention OF the courts for several years,
interested the entire country, and in
volved the expenditure of vast sums of
money, a part OF which came out Of the
national treasury, in litigations. The
conclusion is a very complete victory
for Professor Bell, although the opinion
of three justices of the supreme court
that he was not the first inventor of the
speaking telephone and the admission
of the other few acting in the case that
the Drawbaugh claim to original inven-
ton is destroyed merely by reason of the
fact that he was Indifferent to or uncon-
scious of the merits of his discovery, will
somewhat initiate against the fame Of
Professor Bell'as the author Of the tele-
phone. This is a matter, however, to
which he will doubtless attach very
little Importance, since he may fairly
claim that the man who had the wisdom
to discover the value of an invention
and to utilize it is at least quite as wor-
thy of the worlds commentator as the
inventor who hasn't the capacity to see
the worth of his discovery. The names
of Bell and D~rawbaugh will be insepa-
rably linked together in connection
with the invention and application of
the telephone, but undoubtedly the
honor of the achievement will always be
given most largely to the former, and as
to the rewards, they have already been
most generous, and are likely to be still
more so.
necessarily strengthens the Bell monop-
oily. The patents have still five years
to run, and during that period at least
there will certainly be no effort spared
to completely ~monopolize the telephone
business under these patents. 1t is to
be expected that this will be accom-
plished. The understanding is that
suits will at once be entered to drive
from the field all competition, and it is
not apparent how these can fail. The
result must be that the Bell people will
speedily obtain absolute control Of the
telephone service in the United States,
and thus become, during the life Of
the patents, the most formidable monop-
oily in existence. There has been
almost un~ UNIVERSAL complaint regarding
the charges for telephone service, and
legislation has been sought in anumber
of the states for the regulation of
charges for this service. In some cities
business men have continued to resist
what they deemed unreasonable and I'M
just exaction. It remains to be seen
whether those who control the Bell pat
ents will take advantage of the larger
opportunity they will now have to exer-
else their monopolistic rights, or will
deal fairly, if not more literally, than
hitherto with the public. The tele-
phone has become a necessity second
in Importance to hardly any other of
the agencies of intercommunication.
To many it is Indispensable, and for
both public and private purposes its
use is a great convenience. 1t would be
very much extended under a reason
able liberal policy, but the men who
within a few years have built up colossal
fortunes in this business have not thus
far shown any disposition to be liberal
with the public. 1t is perhaps too much
to expect that they will do so now,
though it would clearly seem to be the
part of wisdom that they should.