SCIENCE AND THE PRESS 59 
journalists. The view that the Press merely reflects public 
opinion will not bear examination. The journalist knows, of 
course, that he must give his readers what they want; but he 
goes far beyond this. He teaches and preaches, and leads and 
governs—well or ill as the case may be, The newspapers are 
the literary daily bread, and, indeed, the exclusive literary diet 
of the great majority of mankind; they furnish directly or 
indirectly the ideas and aspirations of the community. 
I cannot get out of the habit of taking journalism very 
seriously. I was brought up in the belief that English news- 
papers were not mainly governed by commercial enterprise 
and mercenary aims, but that there were high purposes and 
noble aspirations behind- them. They had _ individuality, 
character, and reputation. They took themselves seriously, 
and the public took them seriously. I remember how we 
despised the typical American paper with its screeching rest- 
less sensationalism, its prying vulgar personalities; how we 
rejoiced when an attempt to carry on a London issue of the 
New York Herald failed. 
I am afraid that the Press to-day has not uniformly the. 
character which I have just described, but still there remains a 
great measure of authority enthroned in the Editorial chairs, 
and I for one am extremely desirous of enlisting that authority 
in aid of science, 3 
You will not think, I hope, that if I plead for more attention 
o science it is for a small or selfish end, It is because I am- 
persuaded of the enormously. important part which science has 
to play in the future of civilization, If we begin with the most 
obvious material things, it is hardly necessary to point out how 
much our convenience and comfort depend upon the applica- 
tions of science. J have at home a spinning-wheel which was 
used by my grandmother, and a tinder-box which was used by 
the grandfather of a friend. When I was a student the electric 
light was occasionally shown as a mere scientific experiment, 
