The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-02-21
WHAT ssE "moNoPoLIEss"

- ;.L.~;,aa prejudice against ''monopo-
ua~~.-.L,o the word monopoly is cor
,ec,,v rrdar .,a ID. the prejudice is found TO
- L.sod = ,or reason and entirely praise
- TIL !. ,ouble about the matter is that
tho popular mil NJ comfounds business enc
prises with mo sopolies." which are entlfsi'
different things.
ra,lv IN Fnel sh history the kings began
the habit Of con Il rring on favored individuals
by ROYAL patext. the exclusive right TO MAKO
and sell some %srtscle Of prime necessity u
H. roonla Tha Ae iiyidual's right was pro-
,oo,ad nv an q, ercise OF the royal prerogatlVe
:, the form Of a pate Mt. which was no more
nor lass than II ,e pate nts to-day issued by the
Uni.e1 States Cover nment TO protect new
and useful Id yentiom 3, the difference oeins
that the King gave hi, patent to any favo'''o
Whatever, con 'erring upon him exclusive coN-
troll of perfect ly well-k, " arts aud courses
Of business. while our patent laws cohnno
their operatio rs to rewar,1 is. during a compara-
lively short period. for !n,'v and useful inVen-
tons.
Our forefarners never W Jlingly acquiescedih
this assertion. of the roysl pierogative. inc
public alwavs had stubbo n and sturdy pa
triots who dpnied the KIM rs power 10 inter
fere in this serious manner with the SUBJECTS
rights and liberties. Sir Ldward Coke ue-
clared it to b . the true law of England tn"'
the King mig ht issue his ia tent to protec'a
new and useful invention, llut that when MS
natent operat ted AS a restrsL ! on trade 1t was
void and when the question iirst came before
an Fnolish court for decision darcy V. Al!in'
II Rep. a. in the year I6O2) the court
held that this was the true view Oh
the law. The practice OF granting
natents. anil thereby establish Wing monopohes
in the ordinary necessities of l ife, was carried
70 lis biohssi. excess by good Queen Bess' ="
and az is well known, it prov oked a contro-
versv bet,Seen her and her / louise OF Oom-
mons which threatened very ugly conse-
ouences until Elizabeth's gootl sense taught
her that she should yield, which sire accord
ipgly cid. amidst the plsudits and thanks OF
the nation. Even in Elizabeth's reign, when
the alb use ran to its highest point 1t IS curious
to observe how the idea that Il le monopoly
WAS intended for the common good was
always KEEP / prominent.
Thus heI patent of monopoly in the sale OF
playine cards recited that "a iyers sub
iects Of 2 ble-bodied men, which II ight 90 10
plough. lid employ themselves in the art OF
making IF cards. She would. therefore,.
drive them out Of this trihing bul mess and
force them TO work in the fields. IA er patent
Of monopoly for selling starch justif' IS 1t upon
the GROUND that it will introduce gre at econ
omv in I'd 9 amount of wheat that wal g applied
to that purpose.
Now these were the "m%onopolies" that our
ancestors learned TO abhor, and Of wi ich we
have inherited their abhorrence. They were IN
fact :nonopolies' by royal preroga tive OF
everv-da,r useful inventions or employ ments
belongin Z Of right 10 oil the people IN com
mon. IN the exclusive enjoyment Of viii III the
SOVEREIGN authority undertook to r rotect
soma one or more favored person All
our people should sbhor these monop olies.
and their only semblsnce now in existen CO IS
found ccnder our patent laws and the pr otec-
tive tariff.
But there is another and very different con-
dition OF affairs, TO which the public has c ONE
to amply the word monopoly" which ia ID
no sonDe to be condemned. and which IS ao' 'o-
lutely Necessary to u free and healthful O O.
yelopmont of trade and progress. 1t Is Il le
success attained in a lawful and praisewortl y
calling or business through tho encrgJ,
thrift and intelligence Of the person or Pc
sons who are conducting the business.
This effort to obtain control Of a business
which may be made by any man, or set OF
men. from the energy and intelligence with
which they conduct their affairs, is an injury
TO no one. but a necessary means to progress,
develOpment and civilization.
II il not only an idle, but unworthy aim to
seek to prejudice the popular mind against
the successful man or set of men by applying
to him or them the opprobrious term mo
nopolists." They are not "~monopolists' in
any true sense whatever of tsat word. They
are often. in pursuit Of their own interests,
benefactors Of mankind. They owe no
part Of their success TO any unfair
ad ,,.ntage given them by the superior
stre myth Of government. They owe all their
success to their own unaided energy and
thrift in developing which they have conferred
untold blessings upon their fellow-men.