Telegram-herald., 1889-11-11
SCIENCE AN0 EQUALITY



Prssl94s b. ~ lsrt.rs 3. sorklzszssa -
tfe Frsa ari5ss. sy . bs154a.iz b4ksr IA
a. Lrl1 bsl Nssa1s-ls a. adarsss va Fss-
sensea ~ i-s ua1ss es1nc1 ts FrotesslS
Floasr ss tr-s.s-lt ~ rls Eril-sh sssocl1-
raa fr1tsss.E sl1eurs reply = u ns1fS
tdau scientists interest. He ssld.
Ir urst gratifying - Us to Al = ~ Sho
believe H. ths LensEeaal results upon haEz8
lts conferred - the dl1asien 4 Scl.ulile
En.s .et.e. - az uleal1.ers q r1is zrear ~
c.zt.la r--st dot aad t1aE tlslr WORK all
fls ot5e-t u Ibelr meeting are s. & ghly aI~
fr.c.a-el 81 s-c1 vi1e c.rcte es thAg repre-
seltel ~ tae glateres 81 tbs Al1r.as- lE
Is. toasser parr-eglzrly gratifying e. rs 70
I'LL such gsoogll lll-5n---f, here, EerlaEs. e
1lsg agll, ~e mizar hardly havs expected u
-cr l4s e3vaul&ges q rare or ahs.ra-t
sciences, spalt from its practical application
q. tts material welfare o1 mankind
N-a EaVe recognized wat Is certainly
k11uu to t-lae ul0 have fel. l.oaed ulcsI close
ly tas History Il science. blt what Is uot gen
sra-.g 4nenu or appreciated by the mltu-
tl1s--4a- b. thar nearly all tae marg e-ous
beL-frs Llch have teen o0aferrod on man
by tle lc--ign of scientific discovery or
scler-a. 1lan ledge have oeen It's result u
the discoveries u philosophers who are pur-
sli1c 1loaleige wholly Tor lJs own sake
gLell ans hope * reward, without any
hope 81 il, telelr-lE perhaps themselves or
crLer-. 4l- ytly often amid tie Indifference,
tLe l..- ct, and even the -corn II their ccn-
reln.lrles Tie particular branch Il scl-
euee we..a have The honor or representing
l-. aL l- slt very uttl8 specially connect
el Hll- tas general Welware or man, and 5
looked cpeu ly many as little more than idle
speculation cr curiosity.
weu rcmember-it IS certainly many
years ago roH--Oue who, more than any one
else living ID this country. las advanced that
branch Ct scleuce-Professor Huxley, In q
l-cture which lie delivered ~ the ROYAL instl-
tuition, saying t41 common idea of natural
lat was That dirty man poklng about ne
seashore with q net in one hand and bottle
On tle other, "a perfectly innocent and harm
less ln.ily llull bat very useless one" " ell,
! may Say that thar description was made
some t4rty years ago, before Professor Hux-
~ himself had done 80 much 10 raise the
character of uaturalists and natural history
IN tals country, yet it still holds good with
many al the present time.
But YOU must recolect however, that the
researches OF naturalists OF that type men
who have occupied themselves In nearly OBJ
serving the ways and habits and studying tie
structure Of animals of low type or orgaui-
zatiou have produced already marvellous re-
suits upon the happiness and welfare Of man
kird Through researches Of this kind we are
getting only now 10 the causes and prevention
Il disease which, when further advanced
f-r they are only beginning now-will, have
no doubt. lead 10 an enormous saving Of
hcaltL and Of iife Moreover, through the re-
searches cf such naturalists, greater results
stu have been produced.
They have produced effects upon our mode
Of thinking on many subjects-on our rela-
tons % each other and 10 the universe-ef
fects the end Of which we hardly see az pres
ent. And they have taught Us one great les
son, one that l alluded to in the address
which had the honor Of giving here tie
other night-namely, that ID is q great prin-
ciple Of nature tEat progress IN hving-in
animal and plant nature az all eycntS-has
been due il great measure 10 the principle
which Darwin most populari1ed, if he did not
first enunciate, which he, at all events,
brought into the condition in which we now
know it-that of the struggle for existence
and the survival Of the fttest.
Now, II is a law in nature that there should
be a certain amount of individual differences
o. variations in the different animals and
plants, and that the progress from the lower
. the higher forms of animals and plants
has been due 10 the opportunity of those in
diviGuas who are q little superior in some
respects to their fellows of asserting that SUI
pcrOrity, Of continuing 70 live and of prop
acotiug IS au inherl,ance that superiority
That law established n nature is, l believe,
equally applicable 20 ourselves; and this IS
the message which pure ans abstract bioloGi-
cal research las sent 81 help Us on in some Of
the commonest problems OF human life.
The lesson Of it is this-that there is always
e certain amount OF variability, that there IS
no such thing Is equality equality in powers
Of work, equality in powers OF endurance, or
equality in the powers of men for doing great
Things IN the world; aud that progress de-
peals on giving full liberty - that superior
itv, wherever it asserts itself. having full
GlnE. Vow, supposing This law aid not exist
iu he animal uugd0m, instead IF the world
being fAoI with all the diversity and beauty
which IL now possesses. everything would
have been in tEe condition # Shiny polyps at
the bottom oI JAe sea, and we should all stlA
be Ia tie condition of flint chipping savares.
eii leave IL % you 10 apply 70 yourselves
i'm vorr own social condition and social life
the rr .cati0n az that law. I will not press
II any further at present, but leave you 10
Trims Dc cut afterwards Y means that there
should be TO attempt whatever 70 keep down
tie capacities Of the superior 70 the level Of
TIE inferior ANY man who gets little rise
abose his follows helps on the progress Of tie
world ard brings all the others Oh with hlm.
London Times