308 The American Naturalist. [April, 
EDITOR’S TABLE. 
Whatever fair differences of opinion may exist as to the general pro- 
tective policy of our government, there can be among intelligent people 
no two opinions as to the provisions in the new Dingley tariff bill, tax- 
ing books, apparatus and antiquities imported into the country. A 
more extraordinary anachronism than these provisions, can scarcely be 
conceived. With few exceptions since 1789, books, philosophical 
apparatus, etc., imported for the use of colleges, libraries, and other in- 
corporated institutions, have been admitted free of duty ; and within a 
few years, through representations of various scientific bodies, scientific 
books in other than the English language imported for the use of 
private students were also placed on the free list. It was insisted that 
if institutions should have their books free, private students were still 
more intitled to such consideration. 
The proposed legislation reverses all this, and puts us in the position 
as to enlightenment, which we occupied prior to 1789, and below that of 
any existing nation civilized or uncivilized. It shows that the supposed 
interest in public education professed by such legislators is a sham, and 
that they are willing to see their fellow countrymen fall below the gener- 
ally too prevalent level of mediocrity to something still less noble. 
Probably they do not conceive of the possibility of such a degeneracy, 
but the opinion held by a people that they are the greatest and wisest 
on earth, is generally inversely as the truth of the assumption. The 
more ignorant a man or a nation, the surer it or he is of its or his 
superiority. We cannot afford in this country to shut ourselves out 
from the sources of culture as developed in other countries. The sup- 
position that we benefit even in a financial way by such exclusion is 
fallacious. Is it necessary to say in this country to men sent to legis- 
late for us, that a piece of scientific or artistic work, or an object of 
antiquity, having been once produced, cannot be produced again? It 
is necessary to say to men of sense, that the industries fostered by 
science and art, as those of the printer, engraver, etc. are developed and 
not suppressed by the abundant introduction of the works of other 
countries? In the scientific field the work done here is greatly stimul- 
ated by the knowledge of the work done abroad, and our ability to do 
our own work is largely dependent on it. 
In fact all the materials of study and research whether imported by 
institutions or by individuals should be placed on the free list, and that 
