The Indianapolis journal., 1891-04-09
Addresses by President Harrison, Carroll d.
Wright. Justice Blatchford, Robert
8. Taylor and Others.
Senator Edmunds Not Likely to Accept
a Place on the Supreme Bench.
Secretary Proctor Candidate for the Vermont
Senatorship-Text Of the newfoundland
Treaty That Did Not Suit Canada.


ufacturers of patented inventions in oele-
bration of the beginning Of the second
century of the American patent system
was held this afternoon in the Academy Of
Music. President Harrison and q largo
number of prominent men who were selected
vice-presidents of the congress occupied
seats on the stage. The hall was filed
with a representative gathering Of the
inventors and manufacturers of the coun-
try. Mr. Thomas A. Edison. Alexander
Graham Bell, George Westinghouse, Mr..
Gatling and others whose names are well
known in the annals of inventive achieve
ments have co-operated with the executive
committee in making the celebration
worthy of the event. It was nearly 2:S0
o'clock when the President. accompanied
by Secretary Noble and Postmaster general
Wanamaker. entered and took his seat on
the stage. The President was introduced
as the chairman Of the meeting by Hon.
John Lynch, chairman of the executive
committee. When the applause had sub
sided he spoke as followG
My fellow-citizens, members Of this first
convention OF inventors and manufacturers
assembled under this call TO observe tho
centennial .aa Of the patent system .n Of the the
meeting must necessarily be very brief and
may seem to be quite formal Other ar
rangements will prevent my enjoying that
treat which is IN store for you in the sd-
dresses which will be delivered by those
distinguished men whose names Arc
upon the programme. | can only by my
presence here and by these few introduc-
tory words, opening and constituting this
tion of the Importance and interest OF this
occasion, and my hope that your gathering
here may be promotive OF those branches
of science and art In which You are re-
think, great step in the progress OF civ
ilization when the law takes notice Of
property in the fruit of the mind.
Applause. The ownership in the
fashioned from wood and stone 10 obvious
to the savage mind; but it required long
period 10 bring the pubic to realization
of the fact that it was quite as ESSENTIAL
that this property in impalpable thought,
taking the shapeiof things useful TO men.
should also be recognized and secured.
That is the work of the patent system as 10
has been established in this country. It
the securing Of property in inventions 10
essential and highly promotive of the sd-
vance of our country in the arts and sol
ences. Applause. Nothing moro stimu-
lates effort than security in the result OF
effort. i beg now to proceed with the pro-
gramme which has been prepared for the
afternoon"
The President then called upon the Rev.
DR.. Sunderland to open the congress with
prayer. At its conclusion the President
said that urgent affairs prevented his re-
naming at the meeting, and after calling
to the chair Secretary Noble, the President
left the hall.
LABoR'S PART IN INVENTIONS.
Carroll ID. Wright, the United States Com
missioner of Labor. spoke upon the subject
of the relation of invention to labor. and
said in part: The mistake should not be
made in assigning the cause of strikes and
controversies to retrogression or to supposed
increasing antagonism. or to any desire TO
destroy the grand results of past invon-
lions How new system shall be estsb-
lished with perfect justice to capital and TO
labor. recognizing the moral forces at work
contemporaneously with the ind ustriai.
and the perfectly just distribution OF profits
relative to the use of inventions is the great
problem of the age. Machinery 10 young
In fact, 10 only the forerunner Of more
golden deeds. That the workingmsn does
not receive q full justice as the result of
inventions must be the conclusion OF every
student"
Commissioner of Patents Mitchell had for
his theme The birth of the American Pat
ent System"
Justice Blatchford who is recognized as
the patent expert on the bench of the
United States Supreme Court. spoke on "A
Century of Patent Law" reviewing the sub
ject from the time when the Kings of Eng
land granted exclusive monopolies 70
various persons to manufacture certain ar
ticles without regard TO their having been
the inventors. down to the present time.
PROGRESS OF CENTURY.
Robert S. Taylor, Of Ft Wayne, Ind, had
for his topic "Epoch-making Inventions Of
America" The first epoch was justa cent
| ury ago save year, he said, and Was the
| epoch of cheap cotton cloth caused by
| Whitney's invention eof the cotton gin.
Forty-six years later the sewing-mschine
opened the epoch Of cheap clothes. The two
together gave the human body . new
skin. Robert Fulton opened the
epoch of cheap travel The railroad and
locomotive followed. and the Chicago
limited was the legitimate descendant
| from a paddle heel steamboat Franklin
| was the foremost in the great field Of cleo
tricity. whose subiugation was begun by
| Professor Morse. The steam-engine, said
the speaker. is the breath and muscles. the
| telegraph the nervous system OF the body
| polite. But the most gratifying Of all in
| ventions was the telephone. which intro
duced the epoch of neigh borship without
4
| time The epoch of news came in with
Hoes cylinder press. of new dimension
for cities with the vertical railway and Of
cheap food with McCormick's reaper.
| There was. he concluded, no moro besuti-
| full invention than the typewriter. the
sewing-machine of thought, which clotheS
our ideas. as the sewing-mscnine clothed
| our bodies.
Senator Platt, of Connecticut. closed the
afternoon session with . speech on "Inven-
tion aud Advancement Ii was decided TO
bold public meeting tomorrow morning
| for the purpose Of organizing . permanent
association. TO be known as the American
Association Of Inventors and Manufacfur-
| ers. which shall have for it's object the ac-
vancement of industrial inventions. and the
improvement and enlargement of the Amer
lean patent system.
senator John w. Daniel, of Virginia. WAS
the first speaker at the evening session,
which was opened BY Secretary Noble. He
| spoke in the highest terms of praise OF the
Patent Office and its worth. and pointed
with pride to the long list of inventors
| from Southern States The lntermixfure
| of Southern brains and Northern capital
would soon make the South tho Eldorado
| of modern invention.
A delightful card reception Was given to