182 Recent Literature. [ March, 
ofthe country. They are certainly beyond precedent extraordi- 
nary. The difference between state support for religion and 
science is world-wide. Theology is apee of opinion, and as such 
governments cannot interfere with it; science is matter of fact, 
and in so far as it is fact of vital iaoei it is the business of 
overnments to develop itas they are bound to see that ignorance 
and illiteracy do not prevail among their people. And it is not 
always appreciated, in view of the amount of knowledge that has 
been developed in the world, how little of it touches as yet, the 
deepest problems of human life, and how much therefore remains 
to be done. It should also be remembered that our educational 
system depends for its supply of fact on the labors of scientific 
men ; and that therefore government aid cannot be more judi- 
ciously expended than in singe scientific men to bring forth 
their results. 
We deny squarely that eae is any such rivalry as Gen. Gar- 
field imagines to exist between the government and the private 
student. Rivalry there may be between individuals, but as these 
pursuits do not yield pecuniary rewards, but are for the public 
good, such rivalry is beneficial, and should be encouraged. - As 
to the supposition implied by Gen. Garfield’s remarks, that gov- 
ernment aid gives a presumption in favor of the views of scientists 
employed by government, it is quite out of the question, and in-- 
dicates a wrong apprehension of the spirit of science. In this 
field every man’s work stands on its own merits, no matter who 
_or where he be. The idea that any scientific man_deprecates 
‘government aid to science, is as false as it new. The idea of 
government being a “ formidable and crushing competitor” of 
science, is very curious. Who could have originated such a 
thought we cannot conceive, unless it be some -pseudoscientist 
whose estimate of scientific reputation is determined by the offi- 
cial position a man holds, rather than by the quality of the work 
oes. Most preposterous of all is the remark that aid from 
government has tended to discourage private pursuit of science 
by our people! We venture to say that our government surveys 
have done more to excourage the pursuit of science by our people 
than all other causes combined. It has not only encouraged it 
in this country, but in Europe, so effectively have the surveys 
been conducted. The desire of the people for their publications 
is such that the editions are never large enough to supply the 
demand, ‘The students of science Akap ao them as one 
of the grandest features of our country and t 
But Gen. Garfield has not escaped self- Jakes dues He is in 
favor of government aid to “inquiries which in consequence of 
their great magnitude and = cannot be successfully made by 
private individuals.” Here ‘the honorable member reaches the 
kernel of the matter. It j is precisely enterprises of the kind to 
which he refers which engage the attention of the United States 
