They next planned to get through politics what they could not get through law; they induced the Government to bring suit for the annulment of the Bell patents.

It was a bold and desperate move, and enabled the promoters of paper companies to sell stock for several years longer.

The whole dispute was re-opened, from Gray to Drawbaugh.

Every battle was re-fought; and in the end, of course, the Government officials learned that they were being used to pull telephone chestnuts out of the fire.
The case was allowed to die a natural death, and was informally dropped in 1896.
In all, the Bell Company fought out thirteen lawsuits that were of national interest, and five that were carried to the Supreme Court in Washington.

It fought out five hundred and eighty-seven other lawsuits of various natures; and with the exception of two trivial contract suits, IT NEVER LOST A CASE.
Its experience is an unanswerable indictment of our system of protecting inventors.