38 KANSAS ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 



that some protective legislation can be secured against railroad collisions, so 

 as to render transit on railways less perilous to life. I need not point out 

 to you the numerous so-called accidents and catastrophes that have been 

 chronicled in the United States during the present year. They are not alto- 

 gether the result of carelessness or criminal negligence, as too often supposed, 

 but result from the visual defect which I have just pointed out. As men of 

 science, I appeal to you who can take a broader view of the subject than the 

 employes of the railways, or even the men whose capital and wealth are in- 

 vested in these corporations. I know that any legislation on this subject 

 will be characterized as visionary, as yielding to the imagination of imprac- 

 tical men. But our mission is missionary. It is our duty to create, to 

 mould public opinion, and not to vacillate before the scoflfs and jeers of those 

 who hold pure progressive science in ridicule. In many places in Europe 

 stringent legislation exists in regard to the employing of the color-blind by 

 railway corporations. In other countries, the railway corporations have 

 provided the necessary safeguards without the compulsion of legislation. In 

 our country, the National Government has not been slow to appreciate the 

 importance of this subject. By order of the Surgeon General of the navy, 

 all persons connected with the navy have been tested for the color sense, and 

 a record of all defects of this kind are filed with the Department. I pre- 

 sume that Congress will be asked to order the discharge from the navy of 

 every person found color-blind. Hon. John Sherman has issued orders to 

 all inspectors of licenses to have all pilots of steam vessels tested for color- 

 blindness, and to withhold licenses from all persons affected with this defect. 

 In the army all recruits are examined, and all found color-blind are marked 

 unfit for the signal corps. 



The agitation of this subject has already commenced in several of pur 

 State Legislatures, thanks to the untiring efforts of Dr. Joy Jeffries, of Bos- 

 ton. Massachusetts is deliberating before and discussing the policy of legis- 

 lation. Connecticut has already passed a stringent and ample law controlling 

 railway corporations in regard to employing the color-blind. Its character 

 may be inferred from the second section of the law, which reads as follows: 

 "Any railroad company or trustee operating any railroad in this State, em- 

 ploying, after the first day of October next, in any of the capacities specified 

 in the second section of this act, any person who does not possess a certificate 

 of freedom from color-blindness, and possession of normal visual power, duly 

 issued in accordance with the provisions of this act, or knowingly employing 

 in any such capacities any person whose certificate has been revoked by th6 

 examiners, shall, for each and every offense, be punished by a fine of not less 

 than two hundred dollars nor more than one thousand dollars." Approved 

 March 25, 1880. 



Mr. President, I trust the time is not far distant when the agitation of this 

 law will invade this temple of justice and wisdom. From its sac^'ed precincts 

 numberless edicts have gone forth in defense of humanity, which have given 



