134 THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 



partiality that should characterize all scientific intercourse, it 

 seems to be high time for us to return to first principles, and 

 lose no occasion of clearing away the pretentious scaffolding 

 of false reasoning that has been built up around a structure 

 which demonstrably rests on an unsound and insecure basis. 

 No advantages, fancied or real, that have accrued to the indi- 

 vidual benefit of the adherents of the American Code, can out- 

 weigh the loss to the interests of botany in general. Taxon- 

 omy in America is steadily losing ground as a result of this un- 

 happy division ; and the number of systematists who are doing 

 work of real excellence can almost be numbered on the fingers 

 of two liands; while the ecologists and physiologists, unham- 

 pered l)y any serious difiference in matters of mere opinion, 

 are advancing the boundaries of their fields bv leaps and 

 bounds. Ratljl- than contribute further to this deplorable 

 state of things, many of the weaker brethren are giving up 

 their own inmost convictions and acquiescing more or less 

 tamely in the incessant demand for conformity; and b\- thus 

 adopting a false principle, they are indirectly helping to bring 

 taxonomy into e\ en greater disrepute. 



It is unfortunate tliat tlie deliberations at \'ienna could 

 not have been attended by a larger number of American 

 botanists; had we been in the majority, and had succeeded in 

 bringing about the adoption of what ought to be called the 

 "Codex A^oz'eboraceusis," the German brethren would have 

 been compelled enther to accept it with sucli resignation as they 

 could muster, or else be stam])ed forever aftr as "secession- 

 ists" and "soreheads." Perhaps the (uM-m.-m predilection for 

 submitting to constituted autiiority might have made it easier 

 for them to )ield than it has been for some of us. Even as it 

 is, after the lavish ex])(.'nditure of monev and effort to build up 

 a new sect of the botanical faith for the accommodation of 

 the "bolters." there remains a \er\- respectable remnant wiio 



