New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-11-17
THE ADDRESS.

GENTLEMEN, MEMBERS AND ASSOCIATES OF The
AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY: In accordance
with the plan of the American Chemical So
ciety | am called upon TO address you this
evening. l have to congratulate you on Its
successful establishment, and its prospect of
permanent success. Let consider some of the
reasons which would lead to expect that success,
not only for our own but also for other kindred So
cieties The fold of nature widening before
us. the harvest is becoming more abundant and
tempting, the reapers are more numerous. Each
wear the produce that is Carnered exceeds that of
the preceding. in all directions there is good hope
for tho future. Perhaps then, You will listen With
out impotence for a few minutes this evening to
one of the aborcrs who has taken part in the toll OF
tn generation now finishing its work, who looks
back not without sentiment of pride on what that
generation has done, who points out 10 you the du-
ties and rewards that arc awaiting You, and well
comes yoU to your task. Let look at the prospect
before us.
The progress of science among very largely de-
ponds on two elements. First, on our educational
establishments Second, on our scientific societies.
To each of these propose to direct yDuroiientlon.
And first of our colleges:
Prof. Silliman. in his address delivered on the
occasion Of the Centennial OF Chemistry ut the
grave of Priestley IN conmemoration of the dis
1915 marks the beginning of q new era in the
scientific life of America, which is sill in active
progress and chemistry has had its full share in this
advance He then enumcrates the causes which,
in his opinion, had brought about this increased ac-
tivity Among them are the Centennial celebration
Of the American Philosophical Society in Philadel-
-phia in 1913: the reorganization Of the United
States Coast Survey in 1915; the establishment of
the Smithsonian Institution at Washington in
1916; the enlargement of The Am9ican journal OF
Science in the same year; the cotcnporaneous inin-
daiion Of the Astronomical Observatory M Cintn-
natl: the institution of the Analytical Laboratory ut
Yale College in 1917, and simultaneously the Law
renee Scientific School NJ Harvard. To these hc
adds especially tire establishment Of the American
Assoc for the Advancement of Science 1873.
Coincdng with him fully as TO She character and
power of these and other local causes which he men,
tons. cannot but regard them rs being Themselves
the issues Of influences Of a much more general
kind.
revolution had been taking place in Europa
revolution not so much political industrial
cial. though it was followed by Political conse-
qucnces of the most important nature. It's com
meucomcnts may be seen in the preceding century
in the canal engineering of Brndcy; in the
improvements of iron mgnulactHfc; in the con-
structiOn Of all kinds of machinery, which reached
IT'S acme when the hand of man dcp0scd from
its office, and through the slidc-gcst and planning
machine engines were made by Themselves Then
came the exquisite cOntIiyances for the mauufac-
ture Of textile fabrics 50 that q man could do as
much work ln q day as he had formerly done in
year. the movement III that direction eliminating in
the two steam engines, the condenser and non-con-
dcnscr. The demand for cotton rose, tho value Of
the slave. its eultiyatOr. was enhanced, and the
negro question became the paramount political
question in the United States. See how scientific
discoveries and inventions lead 30 political results!
Herein. among other great events, We lind the origin
OF the American civil war.
in Europe the social effect of the use Of steam
was strikiugIy marked. Performing mechanical
drndgery. il relieved vast Numbers of the laborng
class and gave them time to think. # concentrated
them in factories and mills Those industrial hives
were pervadcd by literary Influences perhaps not
always of kind that we should approve Of. They
became the seats OF agitation in politics and thcol-
opy and while this was the effect on the laborng
mass the owners or capitalists were aCcumuatng
enormous fortunes.
We may excuse the enthusiastic literature of the
cotton manufacture its Boosting, for men had
accomplished works that were nearly godlike
Mr.. Baines, writing in S3!, states that tho length
of cotton yarn spun in year was nearly
five thousand millions OF I.iles-suficient to pass
round the eagtl's circumference more than two
hundred thousand times, sufficient to reach ffty-ono
times from the earth TO the sun. IL would encircle
the earth's orbit eight and n half times. The
wrought fabrics OF cotton exported in one year
would form a girdlc for the globe, passing eleven
times round the equator. and than sufficient to
form a continuous sheet from the earth to the
moon" And let not forget that to give COM
IL Il
discovery of bleaching by chlorine was essential
Such was the condition of things in England just
previously to the epoch in question Necessarily it
was followed by great social results.
But there was something more. The locomotive
absolutely rcvolutonized society. A man could
now travel further in an hour than he had previously
done in a day. Again it was clear that important
political results were occurring. The effect Of the
railroad was to render nations more homogeneous,
TO destroy proyinciaism. 1t is actually true that
language underwent n change No one who had
remarked the various dialects of the English cotr-
ties prior TO the opening Of the Liverpool and Man
chester Railway, and the homOgcneousness Of speech
which is fast displacng Them be blind to this.
simultaneously a redistribution Of the population
took place. 10 was largely withdrawn from the
open country, and concentrated in the towns.
CHANGES IN PUBLIC EDUCATION.
In this statement am recalling facts so common
that they are familiar TO us all. We all appreciate
the immense social changes that took place just
before 1915. Who in those times could fail TO per-
ceive that grand consequences must follow the ex-
penditure of thousands Of millions OF dollars in the
building of railroads. who, when he saw the labor