THE SEMI-CENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARY 75 



It was not my expectation that I would be thrown into this 

 position tonight; but it happened that it fell to my lot to engage 

 the speakers for this occasion, and I will take the liberty now to 

 remind them that they were cautioned that their speeches were 

 to be rather narrowly limited, to something between five and ten 

 minutes. In compensation for this restriction, it should be said, 

 however, that although we have some set toasts it is easy to 

 make those, you know, if you have a typewriter and an efficient 

 secretary we shall not confine any man to any particular sub- 

 ject, but we do impose the restriction of a time limit. 



Some of the distinguished gentlemen with whom I have been 

 in correspondence have protested that it would hardly be fair 

 to them (not being professional men of science) to be called 

 upon to speak concerning scientific subjects. It should be said 

 with respect to this that they probably possess peculiar qualifi- 

 cations for such a task. You will remember that our late distin- 

 guished statesman and jurist, William M. Evarts, on an occasion 

 which was of great distinction in the history of American science, 

 namely, the occasion of the great Tyndall dinner held in New 

 York some years before the younger gentlemen here were born, 

 was chosen as presiding officer; and he said that probably the 

 only reason why he was chosen was that people recognized his 

 impartial ignorance of all branches of science. (Laughter.) 



I make these prefatory remarks before calling on the Vice- 

 President of the United States, whom we are delighted to have 

 with us this evening, and prior to announcing that he will speak 

 to us, if he wishes, on the relations of science to government. 



I take great pleasure in introducing to you the Vice-President 

 of the United States. 



(The assembled company rose in acknowledgment of the intro- 

 duction, amidst applause.) 



