834 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XXIV. No. 626. 



let every man who finds in the formula of 

 the mathematician, or in the formula of 

 the chemist, or in the formula of the biolo- 

 gist, the key which unlocks the storehouse 

 of nature's secrets; solves a hitherto un- 

 solved problem of matter; or throws light 

 upon one of the hard questions of vegetable 

 or animal life, still claim that his science 

 is pure, when science enables us to in- 

 vent a new prime mover, to produce a new 

 material of construction, or create a new 

 article of food, let us give credit where 

 credit is due— to science, and to associa- 

 tions which aim to advance all true science 

 and which foster every effort to make that 

 science useful to mankind. 



The false, though inherited, notion that 

 polite learning and true culture admit no 

 contact with utility, is, thank Heaven,, fast 

 dying out. Occasionally a voice from the 

 'inner circle' shouts gleefully: "Here's to 

 mathematics! May she never be prosti- 

 tuted to any human use!" But we can 

 afford to smile at the conceit of such a 

 Levite of culture, and pity him for his 

 narrowness and lack of human sympathy. 

 However, those 'pure' scientists often 

 build better than they know. Even the 

 professor who boasted that he had never 

 wittingly either learned or taught anything 

 useful has become the servant of real 

 learning by extending the limits of scien- 

 tific knowledge, which refuses to be hin- 

 dered or circumscribed by its mistaken 

 votaries. 



There is, as every careful observer can 

 testify, an abundance of useful fruit in 

 every department of scientific research. 

 Note the uses of electricity, chemistry and 

 thermodynamics; of botany in fruit cul- 

 ture; of bacteriology in the warfare for 

 human and animal health; and how the 

 discoveries of science in a hundred fields 

 is made useful in inventions for the trans- 

 formation, transmission and utilization of 

 energy. 



It is not my purpose to point out the 

 progress made during the past year in the 

 discovery of scientific truths, and in their 

 utilization in the various directions indi- 

 cated by the different sections of this asso- 

 ciation. The task would be too great for 

 me or for any one man. The printed re- 

 ports and proceedings of the sections them- 

 selves will furnish the best permanent rec- 

 ord. It is, however, my purpose to call 

 the attention of the association to the im- 

 portance of the science and art of educa- 

 tion, and to suggest the propriety of cre- 

 ating a new section devoted to the advance- 

 ment of the science of education. 



THE SCIENCE OF GOOD GOVERNMENT. 



Before taking up the subject which, for 

 fifty years, has been more or less directly 

 my life and my delight, I desire to express 

 my estimate of the unparalleled achieve- 

 ment of our national government in the 

 interests of peace and international brother- 

 hood. I refer, of course, to our interven- 

 tion, in accordance with our contract, with 

 Cuba, to restore and maintain peace, order 

 and good government in that long-suffering 

 and badly-educated island. Never before, 

 in the history of the world, did a strong 

 nation go with an army and navy to the 

 aid of a weak and inexperienced national- 

 ity when it was torn into factions by jeal- 

 ousies and distrust so deep and bitter as to 

 overcome their desire for good order and 

 self-government ; and then, without firing a 

 shot or taking a prisoner, establish order, 

 disarm hostile bands, promote mutual con- 

 fidence and restore the occupations of 

 peace; and finally, having accomplished 

 this remarkable feat, our army and navy 

 came home again, with no booty, with no 

 trophies, with no captives, with no tri- 

 umphal procession — with nothing but the 

 consciousness of having done an act of in- 

 ternational good-will. The spectacle is one 

 for the world to look upon and admire. 



