92 ransome: national geological survey 



of birds from reptiles and upon evolution, or of the intellectual 

 value of such a contribution to knowledge. The representative 

 of a people educated in the value of geologic science would, by 

 such an exhibition of ignorance, discredit himself in the eyes of his 

 constituents. 



FUNCTIONS IN A DEMOCRACY 



Our government, however, is not an all-wise benevolent autoc- 

 racy but is democratic in plan and intent and suffers from certain 

 well-known disadvantages from which no democracy has yet 

 been free. The wishes of the politically active majority control, 

 and these wishes may or may not coincide with those of the 

 wisest and most enlightened of the citizens. The funds for 

 government work in science must be granted by Congress and the 

 vote of each congressman is determined by the real or supposed 

 desires of his constituents. A national scientific bureau, if it 

 is to survive, must have popular support, and to obtain and hold 

 such support it must do at least some work that the majority 

 of the people can understand or can recognize as being worth 

 the doing. Here evidently compromise with scientific ideals is 

 necessary. vSomething must be sacrificed in order that something 

 can be done. Such concessions and compromises are inseparable 

 from democratic government and the scientific man of high 

 ideals who is unable to recognize this fact will inevitably fail 

 as a director of the scientific work of a government bureau. 

 Such a man is likely to insist that no concessions are necessary 

 and that the public will support science that is not interesting 

 to it or from which it can see no immediately resulting material 

 benefit. One very eminent geologist with whom I was once 

 conversing held this view. He said that he had always found 

 that he could go before a legislative body and secure appropria- 

 tions for scientific research by being absolutely frank and making 

 no attempt to show that the results of the work would be what 

 the average man would term "useful" within the immediate 

 future. His confidence was possibly well grounded, but I am 

 inclined to think that the success gained by him was rather a 

 tribute to his earnest eloquence and winning personality than a 



