Mr. DAVIS. But the idea of inventions is to be able to produce a mechanism which can be specially adapted to any music, whether of to-day or to-morrow. My patent grant does not except new copyrighted pieces. Mr. WEBB. I understand that; but there are two propositions involved here. The first is, you say it will destroy what you have already invented. The next is, you say it will destroy you because of your inability to get hold of these pieces that will be published and copyrighted in the future. Is that your point, now? Is that your argument? Mr. DAVIS. I say that this practically depreciates or destroys the marketable value of my inventions or machines, which are capable of being used for mechanically reproducing either old or new music, as well as destroying in part or whole my existing patent rights. Mr. WEBB. Because it will not let you reproduce works published and copyrighted in the future? Is that the reason, now, why you say it will destroy your invention? Mr. DAVIS. Yes, sir; coupling this admission with my previous explanations. Mr. WEBB. I wanted to get your meaning. Senator SMOOT. Or, in other words, if Mr. Sousa should have a very popular air or piece produced in the future, you think that you ought, as you have in the past, to simply be permitted to reproduce that by your machine? Mr. DAVIS. Yes, sir; either I or any other patentee. Senator SMOOT. Without any consideration whatever? Mr. DAVIS. Yes, sir, I do; because outside of a possible minor and remote ethical or equity right, he possesses not a vestige of a statutory or legal right to stop me. Senator SMOOT. And whatever his brain, and his talent, and his gift has brought forward, you are entitled to use? Mr. DAVIS. And I want to go ahead and explain, if you will allow me, why I say that. Before I took up this art of self-playing musical instruments, as I said, I saw that there was a possible limitation, and that in order to make inventions commercially successful I would have to use musical compositions. If I used old music, they would be useless. I would have to use current music; and I read the Constitution, and the very first article of the Constitution that I came to, section 8, reads: That the Congress shall have power to promote the progress of science and useful arts by securing, for limited times, to authors and inventors, the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries. Mr. WEBB. Mr. Sousa insists on that, too. [Laughter.] Senator SMOOT. Yes; I was going to say, that is just exactly what Professor Sousa insists upon. Mr. CHANEY. That is where the other fellows claim they come in. Mr. DAVIS. There is where Mr. Sousa and the trust, on one side, and I are going to lock horns--right here with the Constitution as our battle ground. Mr. MCGAVIN. Would you like to amend that?