St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-08-30
IoSJy0pOJTT4Y tendencies.

The meeting now being held in Montreal
of the British Association of scientific men,
is the ffty-fourth anniversary of that body,
and it is the first time in the history Of the
association that it has met outside of Great
Britain The selection of America is COM
pliment to the growing Importance of the
western continent in scientific studies, and
an acknowledgement that scientific investi-
CATION is not limited to London, or small
area of whichit is the center. One familiar
with English scientists knows that for the
last half century, they have claimed the
British island as the peculiar home of scien-
tifc development, and that they have been
characterized by a provincialism which las
pcrsistently refused to recognize that any
thing worthy the name of scientific progress,
or Investigation has had any existence out
side of such men as Farraday, Siemens, Max
well, Darwin, Tyndale, Huxley, Crooke,
Lockyear, and other English investigators.
It is but fair to state that Englishmen are
not peculiar in this respect. The French
scientific element regards with hearty con-
tempt the claims of other peoples to prece-
dence in the march of science. The Germans
have their belief that the most of what has
been discovered in the domain of science
has taken place in Germany, and even this
country, young as it is, has not hesitated to
arrogate to itself many discoveries concern
ing whose origin there is a reasonable amount
of doubt in the mind of dispassionate ex-
aminer. We do not scruple to claim the in
vention of the steamboat and the electro
magnetic telegraph, iron clad war vessels
and numerous others of the great develop
ments of modern times, when, in truth, the
assertion is without any foundation in fact.
This provincialism has been encouraged by
the fact that public bodies, like the one in ses
sion at Montreal, have always held themselves
strictly to their own geographical boundar
les in their gatherings, There has been
nothing in their meetings or discussions
COSMOPOLITAN, local questions have been ex-
amined in the light of local evidence by To-
cal Investigators The conclusions in such
cases have been necessarily circumscribed,
home results have been highly colored, while
the echoes of what has been done in other
places have reached these provincial bodies,
duled by distance, and lost in the eager
clamor of local discussions. The assembling
of the British association in another country,
and thousands of miles from the ordinary
places of resort, looks as if there was about
TO be break up in the methods heretofore
pursued, and as If provincial investigation,
Mt least among the Anglo-SaSons, were tend
ing in the direction of a cosmopolitanism.
The GLOBE is of the belief that there should
no organized and held at least biennially
worlds congresses Of science. We have ex-
positions of products at short intervals
which, although young in years, are already
robust and stalwart The Young Mems
Christian Associations have occasional con-
crosses whose representatives include all
N atoms. au-Methodist and Pan-Presby-
terrain bodies made up from all parts of the
world are not unusual In 1881, there was
q copgr.ss in London which was composed
of REPRESENTATIVES, from every nation in
christendom. Why not bave the same thing
in the domain of seiencel 1t is as import
ant surely as medicine, manufactures, de-
nomiuationalism and the like which have
entered on a course whereby all that Is oeSt
known among them is brought tog4ther for
comparison, selection and adoption.
That there is a tendency towards what may
be termed cosmopolitanism in these bodies
is further shown BY the action of the gather
ing at Montreal, not only in crossing the
ocean to hold the meeting, but in the rccog-
milton which it has extended to the American
Science association, through an invitation
that the standing committees and fellows OF
the latter attend the sessions Of the body as
honorary members.
This tendency TO break down national bar
riers in all the directions referred TO cannot
but have an important effect in other dirce-
tons. Peace congresses must feel this ten