584 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XXIV. No. 619. 



cation until to-day we are assembled to 

 recognize formally the addition to its edu- 

 cational plant of a complete engineering 

 building, probably second to none of its 

 kind and equipped to give adequate instruc- 

 tion in several branches of engineering. 



Should not this magnificent growth from 

 so small a beginning strengthen our faith 

 and be an encouragement to all of us who 

 are struggling to meet our responsibilities 

 along similar lines? 



There is passing over the United States 

 to-day a wave of reform— some of it real 

 and honest— much of it not so. To-day 

 reform is popular and to a certain point I 

 am willing, yes anxious, to go with the 

 popular party. 



Reform is needed, much needed, in the 

 United States and in many directions. 

 And reform always has been needed and 

 always will be needed in this world of ours. 

 Here is where the first mistake is made by 

 the reformers. Their proposition seems to 

 be that the conditions now attracting their 

 attention are singular. 



The people at large have been deceived 

 as to our condition in connection with the 

 need of reform as compared with times 

 past. Many men of standing hold the 

 opinion and are willing to act on the belief 

 that the present condition as to the wrong- 

 ful use of the money power is such that 

 relief can be found only through a revolu- 

 tionary upheaval. If the case is so des- 

 perate that a surgical operation is required, 

 let us hope that our republic will not be in 

 the position of the unfortunate patient who 

 dies under the knife, although the surgeon 

 declares the operation to have been suc- 

 cessful. 



And what has been the chief agency in 

 this deception? Unquestionably, yellow 

 journalism. 



Yellow journalism of the ordinary sen- 

 sational type is an old story in America. 



Dickens shows us — perhaps the picture, 

 caricature-like, is an exaggeration, but, 

 caricature-like, it contains the elements of 

 truth — that yellow journalism had a foot- 

 ing with us in the days of Martin Chuzzle- 

 wit and Mark Tapley. Comparatively, 

 this type is harmless. But the extreme 

 yellow journalism of to-day is something 

 very different. We now have to face a 

 systematic effort to deceive the people by a 

 partial telling of the truth and an extended 

 telling of untruth, with the deliberate in- 

 tention of stirring up discontent and an- 

 tagonism between classes. 



Public opinion in connection with our 

 form of government is a necessary safe- 

 guard of liberty. But to be a safeguard, 

 it must be sane public opinion, and not 

 public clamor instigated by a section of the 

 press which is influential in spite of being 

 conscienceless. 



There are too many to-day who are will- 

 ing to push aside their individual responsi- 

 bility in this connection by relying, or pre- 

 tending to rely, upon the good sense of the 

 so-called plain people. But these yellow 

 journals are sedulously and constantly en- 

 gaged in the effort to corrupt this good 

 sense. 



Others tell us that our republic is safe in 

 the hands of our young men. These are 

 urged to take part in political movements 

 and especially in movements looking to the 

 betterment of civic conditions. Undoubt- 

 edly, if rightly employed, here is a power- 

 ful agency for good. But these young 

 men must not be encouraged to believe that 

 they are capable of helping the cause of 

 good government simply because of their 

 youth. As a rule inexperience and imma- 

 turity go with youth. If in our public 

 affairs we need the fire and enthusiasm of 

 youth, as we do, we also need thorough 

 knowledge of facts, followed by their judi- 

 cial application. Real reform must be 

 based upon a careful, competent, honest 



