New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1891-09-23
THE GOSPEL OF THE sLUM.

THE GOSPEL OF THE SLUM.
Edison says the time is not far dis
tant when an ordinary sized dwelling
house can be lighted and heated by cleo
tricity for sixty cents year. This may
be true, but 1t never will be done so
long as millionaire patent right monpo.
lists, like Edison, absolutely control the
business. Albert Lea Standard.
It is not probable that many Ameri-
cans are envions of Edison's good for.
tune, or will consider that he deserves
abuse because he has been more FORUM
ate than some other American inventors,
! who were defrauded of the fruits of their
labors until they were nearly starved.
Howe failed to secure just protection for
his great sewing machine invention until
his wife persisted from the effects of star.
| walton and his own constitution was un-
dermined and his health ruined. The
case of Whitney affords another illus
tration of the great wrongs that were
sometimes perpetrated upon inventors,
but from which they are now protected
by more liberal age and juster senti-
ment. His invention of the cotton gin
made the cultivation of cotton profitable
and brought untold wealth to the south,
but in some of the states of that section
! his invention was stolen and he failed to
obtain redress through the courts for the
wrong done him. Although some of
these states subsequently made tardy
and partial reparati"n by an inadequate
appropriation for his benefit, he never
received a just compensation for the
property rights stolen from him with all
bravado of highway robbery.
The country would be fortunate had
it more millionaires like Edison. He
commenced life poor boy and won
fame and wealth by his own unliring
industry and pre.eminent genius. He
always has been and is to-day one of
the most untiring laborers in America.
He takes no time to enjoy his wealth,
however great it may be, but almost
lives in his laboratory and workshop,
planning and perfecting new inven-
tions and devices for the benefit of man.
kind. Edison is using both his money
and his genius to good purpose, and
he probably places less value upon
dollars and cents and gives less thought
to: their accumulation than many of
his detractors, who have no higher am
bition in the accumulation of wealth
than to secure for themselves the CON-
forts and pleasures which it brings.
Edison's wealth is. insignificant in COM
parison to the value his great inventions
have already been to the world land the
small royalty he receives from them is a
light tax on the wealth they produce.
He may leave an estate of millions of
dollars to his Immediate heirs, but the
estate he will leaYe to the public will be
richer beyond computation. If the new
political faith to which the editor of the
Standard has been converted leads to
such unfair and malicious criticism of a
man like Edison-who is honored by
every right-thinking man as great
public benefactor-then it is of such a
demoralizing character that it must
eventually lead to the political slums
where the depraved and vicious nihilist
and anarchist take counsel for the de-
struction of that civilization that has
been built up through centuries of toll
and blood. The philosophy that the
editor of the Standard teaches would
remove all the incentives that now in
duce ambitious, Industrious and talent .
ed men to labor and achieve. 1t would
clip their wings in order that they might
not be able to rise above the foolish and
the idle. 1t would reduce society to a
level, but it would be the level of the
lowest strata. Democrat.
Hon. E. P. Freeman, register of the
land office at Marshall, dropped into St..
Paul yesterday, returning to his home
| at MankatO in the evening. Mr.. Free