8a SIMON NEWCOMB 



education hitherto held by classical studies. In the contest 

 which has thus arisen I take no part but that of a peacemaker, 

 holding that it is as important to us to keep in touch with the 

 traditions of our race, and to cherish the thoughts which have 

 come down to us through the centuries, as it is to enjoy and 

 utilize what the present has to offer us. Speaking from this 

 point of view, I would point out the error of making the 

 utilitarian applications of knowledge the main object in its 

 pursuit. It is an historic fact that abstract science — science 

 pursued without any utihtarian end — has been at the base of 

 our progress in the utilization of knowledge. If in the last 

 century such men as Galvani and Volta had been moved by 

 any other motive than love of penetrating the secrets of nature 

 they would never have pursued the seemingly useless experi- 

 ments they did, and the foundation of electrical science would 

 not have been laid. Our present appHcations of electricity 

 did not become possible until Ohm's mathematical laws of the 

 electric current, which when first made known seemed Uttle 

 more than mathematical curiosities, had become the common 

 property of inventors. Professional pride on the part of our 

 own Henry led him, after making the discoveries which ren- 

 dered the telegraph possible, to go no further in their applica- 

 tion, and to Hve and die without receiving a dollar of the 

 millions which the country has won through his agency. 



In the spirit of scientific progress thus shown we have 

 patriotism in its highest form — a sentiment which does not 

 seek to benefit the country at the expense of the world, but 

 to benefit the world by means of one's country. Science has 

 its competition, as keen as that which is the life of commerce. 

 But its rivalries are over the question who shall contribute the 

 most and the best to the sum total of knowledge; who shall 

 give the most, not who shall take the most. Its animating 

 spirit is love of truth. Its pride is to do the greatest good to 

 the greatest number. It embraces not only the whole human 

 race but all nature in its scope. Should you ask me how it 

 is in the future to use its influence for the benefit of humanity 

 at large, I would say, look at the work now going on and study 

 its spirit. Here are the agencies which will make 'Hhe voice 

 of law the harmony of the world." Here is the love of country 



