528 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. V. No. 118. 



walks in life, does not necessarily imply the 

 possession of good morals or the other quali- 

 ties that make the good citizen. The true 

 scientific man ought to be the highest type 

 of moral and patriotic development, since, 

 above all other men, he should fully 

 recognize the unfailing logical relation of 

 cause and effect. 



The sooner he is freed from the injustice 

 of absurd flattery on the one hand and 

 ignorance and vicious criticism on the other, 

 and is permitted or obliged to stand on his 

 own merit as a citizen and as a scientific 

 worker and investigator, the better it will 

 be for science and for our country. 



Again, the real scientific man has no 

 more need of a business manager than has 

 a lawyer, a doctor or any other professional 

 man. From observation and from experi- 

 ence gathered in the service of the Govern- 

 ment for a third of century, I am convinced 

 that the genuine scientific men in the Ex- 

 ecutive Departments and throughout the 

 country have as much executive and ad- 

 ministrative ability as any other class of 

 citizens in the land. 



The nature of their interests and pursuits 

 tends to make them less demonstrative 

 than most other men, and in their own ranks 

 those who make the most display and noise 

 in the public press and otherwise are 

 generally least effective as investigators or 

 as directors of real work. 



Organized as most of our Government 

 scientific bureaus are, subject to a change 

 in the controlling force, at least every four 

 years, it would be strange, indeed, if the 

 individual members, from their almost con- 

 stant contact with the practical politician, 

 did not unconsciously acquire some of the 

 habits of thought and action of those who 

 have learned to so manipulate the primaries 

 that the final outcome of an apparently 

 free election shall result in purely personal 

 rather than public advantage. 



That some scientific men have not en- 



tirely avoided this contagion may be in- 

 ferred if one studies the methods sometimes 

 employed to obtain the influence that 

 recommends candidates for important po- 

 sitions and that frequently controls such 

 appointments. 



The usual remark in such cases that, 

 "after all, scientific men are only human," 

 is not sufficient excuse for any man whose 

 first duty is to be a good citizen. 



In Washington one frequently hears the 

 complaint that the scientific man does not 

 receive that respectful consideration from 

 the Government which he really deserves. 

 One also hears in this connection an un- 

 complimentary comparison between the 

 honors bestowed upon scientific men under 

 our republican Government and those con- 

 ferred upon their fellows by the imperial 

 rulers of foreign nations. That there is 

 some truth in these views may not be 

 wholly denied, but it should be remembered 

 that, to a great extent, in this country, as 

 in all others, the scientific men have this 

 matter under their own control. 



Many times in every year the executive 

 and administrative ofi&cers of our Govern- 

 ment find it necessary to ask for the opinions 

 and counsel of scientific men. Frequently 

 these same men feel moved to offer their 

 views and advice to the Government, and 

 on all such occasions they have ample op- 

 portunity to exhibit whatever unselfish, 

 self-respecting and patriotic characteristics 

 they may possess. If, however, the repre- 

 sentatives of the Government find that a 

 body of scientific men have urged the ap- 

 pointment, to' a position of trust and respon- 

 sibility, of one whom they must have known, 

 if they knew the man, was morally and 

 mentally unfit for the place ; or if they put 

 in train a scheme for their personal aggran- 

 dizement or professional profit, then they 

 have plainly cheapened their own influence 

 and damaged the reputation of all scientific 

 men in the country in the opinion of the 



