The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1914-02-20
President Madison Urged Check
on Mo1ppoIieS in An Essay
in 1914.

NEW YORK, Feb. 20-That James
Madison, fourth president OF the
United States one hundred years ago
urged the Importance of checking
monopoly and curbing the spread OF
corporation control became known
today with the prrbHcat on, in Har-
per-s Magazine for March. Of an
hitherto unpublished article by him
The article which Pres dent Madison
called ''donopolies, Perpetuitles,
Corporations, Ecclesiastical EndoW-
ments." was not included in the co..
lection called .'The Madison Papers
which the government purchased
from Mrs, Madison.
Gaillard R,unt. chief OF the -diVis-
ion OF manuscripts In the Library o.
Congress, writes an introduction .
the Madison essay in Harper's Mag
azine, in w.hch he says:
! madison retired from the presi-
dency in 1917 and died in 1857
neteen years later. This was tne
growing per.od OF American nation
atty, and it was during these years
that an enduring attachment was
formed for the frame Of governmeti'
under which the growth took place.
50. a. Madison had been the maste'
builder or the government, ne eL
joyed extraord nary prestige anu
whatever he said on public questions
was regarded as oracuIar. he lei.
the weight OF the responsibility an
expires sed his views carefully, real
ling that he was addressing poster
Try
Mad sons Own Words.
President Madison's essay con-
tafns the following views on monop-
DIV and the means of checking It:
..Monopol:es tho in certain cases
useful ought to be granted with eau
ton, and guarded with stricthss
against. abuse. The constitution o.
the United States has limited them
To two cause.-the authors OF BOOKS.
and of useful inventions. in polit
which they are considered as a COM
peusatfon for benefit actuaEy
gained to the community as pur-.
chasa Of property which the owner
might otherw Sc withhold from pup
lie use. There can be no just oD-
section to temporary monopoly ~
these cases; but it ought 70 pc Ten TEN,
norary because under that limltatlolA
a sufficient recompsnse ana enoou+
agemsht may be given.
1.-The lin tation, is particularly
prouer in the case OF inventions, pe
cause they grow so much out OF pre-
ced3ng ones that there is the Iess
merit in the authors; and because
for the same reason, the discovery
might bo exnected in short t-+iiS
from other hands.
'eIn all cases of monopoly, not ~,
cepting those in favor OF autlloLs 80.
Inventors. it would be we'll to resefS
tn tihe state, a right to e&tlngutsn,
the monopoly by paying spec.tl9, -,
and reasonable sum. TINS woutS
Guard agc'nst the public dlsconlen.-s
TeeuIffne from the eXorbitant gains
of indivjduais. and from the lnc neon,
yenfent restr ctions comolneu W.
them. This view CT the sIo9ecI s s.l.
costs the clause in the bill Telatlns
- go Bumsey in the Virginia legisla-
t9re..r the year t174S, providing that
the state might cancel his prlvnease
~ having him ten thousand POUNDS
Tho Bank Monopoly.
cone objection to a bank Is Ina
!. involves q qualified monopoly; ana
IN obiectson certainly has weight ~
nronortion to the degree ana uui .
ton of the monopoly.
Perpetual monopolies OF eVess
sort are forbidden not only ~ IN
genius of government, but ny ene 4
perfection OF human human. aonnot he |
Among such monopolies cannoL
,nciuded the grants IN perpetu-ty ~
,o,3,lic lands to indivlduais'
t,sa,,+s being made according ~
, = If impartiality, for a valuaole
1,oI,ssderation. and all lands pelis
,,.Is ea71aIly by that tenure from tne
lI,Ieiic tbe vital principle of monop-
~, iS,1ost. The benefit Il not con,
go 10 one or a few, but Is enloyso
nv the whole or ma1oFlly %
community. dap.
.srrhe evil OF an excessive ana 49, |
o,aro,1e ,c,lmulation of landed
e,-tv N tbe hands of individuals
80 1recIuded by the prohlbtioh
an+,,is by the suppression oil Ise
,i.,I,ts Of prfmogeniture, and by INC
lie lie hil;ty 81 landed property TO tne
..o,s,,,s,t ~ debts. in COUNT count e,
i p,E, there is a rapid increase de
I5'Io+ion as in the United
80 = nToyisons are evidently SUI
fcient. and in all countries pLoT-t els |
woaI1d be found so. NheIe arr,r,on
~ incorporation, even the - lnca ! |
80. 10 towns for the sake OF 49, -.
.,n1ice contain clauses .mplS4ns 10
t,.yrts and irreyocable, they are rrne
~ RI objections of equal loLce t,ri
VIZ - ~ limitation on incorpor,a 49,
% oti.a is a proviso that rhelr 49,
S'.I7 1sot violate the laws OF Uhe an an,
S .t<4 ~, easily may i happen uha at
r1 -l,..o - GOV. sIInh violation may ne |
[ e .',Srs,,ed into effect? How nue. nue.
~ p, nav accrue during the I por
ln l!t - redress? And above an. nos
sur 1o.cai Injustice and appresslo,t,ss
NUT IL :, - strict construction Voialitis