36 LIFE OF PROFESSOR HUXLP^Y CHAJP. II 



I am extremely exercised in my mind about Stokes' 

 going into Parliament (as a strong party man, moreover) 

 while still P.R.S. I do not know what you may think 

 about it, but to my mind it is utterly wrong — and 

 degrading to the Society ^ — by introducing politics into 

 its affairs. 



And on the same day to Sir M. Foster : — 



I think it is extremely improper for the President of 

 the K.S. to accept a position as a party politician. As 

 a Unionist I should vote for him if I had a vote for 

 Cambridge University, but for all that I think it is most 

 lamentable that the Presidency of the Society should be 

 dragged into party mud. 



When I was President I refused to take the Presidency 

 of the Sunday League, because of the division of opinion 

 on the subject. Now we are being connected with the 

 Victoria Institute, and sucked into the slough of politics. 



These considerations vi^eighed heavily Avith several 

 both of the older and the younger members of the 

 Society ; but the majority were indifferent to the 

 dangers of the precedent. The Council could not 

 discuss the matter ; they waited in vain for an official 

 announcement of his election from the President, 

 while he, as it turned out, expected them to broach 

 the subject. 



Various proposals were discussed ; but it seemed 

 best that, as a preliminary to further action, an 

 editorial article written by Huxley should be inserted 

 in Nature, indicating what was felt by a section of 

 the Society, and suggesting that resignation of one 

 of the two offices was the right solution of the 

 difficulty. 



