A PLEA FOR PURE SCIENCE 611 



The American Academy of Sciences in Boston is perhaps our nearest 

 representation of this class of academies, but its limitation of member- 

 ship to the state deprives it of a national character. 



But there is another matter which influences the growth of our 

 science. 



As it is necessary for us still to look abroad for our highest inspira- 

 tion in pure science, and as science is not an affair of one town or one 

 country, but of the whole world, it becomes us all to read the current 

 journals of science and the great transactions of foreign societies, as well 

 as those of our own countries. These great transactions and journals 

 should be in the library of every institution of learning in the country, 

 where science is taught. How can teachers and professors be expected 

 to know what has been discovered in the past, or is being discovered 

 now, if these are not provided? Has any institution a right to starve 

 mentally the teachers whom it employs, or the students who come to it? 

 There can be but one answer to this; and an institution calling itself a 

 university, and not having the current scientific journals upon its table 

 or the transactions of societies upon its library shelves, is certainly not 

 doing its best to cultivate all that is best in this world. 



We call this a free country, and yet it is the only one where there is a 

 direct tax upon the pursuit of science. The low state of pure science 

 in our country may possibly be attributed to the youth of the country; 

 but a direct tax, to prevent the growth of our country in that subject, 

 cannot be looked upon as other than a deep disgrace. I refer to the 

 duty upon foreign books and periodicals. In our science, no books above 

 elementary ones have ever been published, or are likely to be pub- 

 lished in this country; and yet every teacher in physics must have them, 

 not only in the college library, but on his own shelves, and must pay the 

 government of this country to allow him to use a portion of his small 

 salary to buy that which is to do good to the whole country. All free- 

 dom of intercourse which is necessary to foster our growing science is 

 thus broken off, and that which might, in time, relieve our country of 

 its mediocrity, is nipped in the bud by our government, which is most 

 liberal when appealed to directly on scientific subjects. 



One would think that books in foreign languages might be admitted 

 free; but to please the half-dozen or so workmen who reprint German 

 books, not scientific, our free intercourse with that country is cut off. 

 Our scientific associations and societies must make themselves heard in 

 this matter, and show those in authority how the matter stands. 



