The Washington herald., 1908-04-03
FOR POLITICAL SCIENCE
By FREDERIC j. HASKIN
By FREDERIC ]. HASKTN.

A week from to-day the American Acad-
emy OF Political and Social Science WI.
hold its twelfth annual meeting In Phila-
delphia. There will be a gathering Of
prominent thinking people Of the United
States. and many Of the problems OF poll
tical and social economies OF the present
day will be considered. not alone for the
benefit OF those who attend the meeting.
but rather for the purpose Of directing.
leading, and guiding the thought OF the
people Of the nation on these subjects.
The work OF the acadmey may be COM
pared 20 that OF the hydraulic lift In
a hydraulic lift there are two chambers
nlled with water The one IS small and
the other is large. II ;he one presents
an inch square Of surface and the other
ten inches square. a pound OF pressure
on the water iu the small chamber would
lift 100 pounds in the large one. though
the speed would be slow. 1t Is on this
principle that the American Academy OF
Political and Social Science IS striving,
by the slow and silent process OF educa-
tion. to gradually raise the level Of public
opinion.
Among all the organizations in the
United States for the advancement OF
human welfare. none Is so unusual as
this. An academy usually betokens an
association OF bigwigs. II usually be-
speaks exclusiveness, and requires high
attachments for eligibility. But the Amer
ican Academy Of Political and Social
Science is not that. II was not the IN
tention Of the founders 10 form an ex-
elusive and small body OF experts on these
subjects. but 10 make the academy idea
thoroughly democratic. Nevertheless, IL
is desired 20 maintain the essential prin-
ciple of an academies. namely. co-opera-
ton and mutual fellowship among the
members The council admits any one
OF high or humble degree. Of great or
small intellectual attachments. providing
only that he manifest a sincere interest in
the search for light and truth concerning
social and economic questions.
The academy proceeds on the theory
that the data OF the social sciences are
so widely distributed in time and space
and are to be derived so directly from
the experience and thought Of individuals
in all stations Of life that IL probably
lies within the range Of possibility for
every human being 20 contribute some
subjects Il Is, therefore. one Of the OBJ
jects OF the academy 70 so stimulate and
direct observation and reflection on the
part OF all those who come in contact
with the work that such persons may be-
come more intelligent citizens The nu-
tual gathering OF data and the inter
change OF ideas among the members viii
aid in the deduction OF new rules and
laws in the realms OF political and social
science. With the large and widely scat
tered membership Of the academy. il has
been able 10 realize. in some degree, this
far-reaching ideal
The birth OF the academy was on De
OF a desire for the formation Of an or
ganization in which the widespread in
terest in political, economic. and social
discussion could find a focus. It was
planned 10 have an organ which could
properly represent this wide group OF
sciences. and at the same time serve as
an intermediary by which scientific
thought could be converted into practical
effort. as steam Is converted into power
By the use Of intermediate mechanical
principles. In many fields there We're
earnest men and women at work striving
70 the same ends. but without any CO.
operation and without the sympathy and
support Of those pursuing allied inter
ests. These considerations demonstrated
the necessity for central organization,
and led TO the founding OF the academy.
Soon after this important step had been
taken proposition was received from the
Philadelphia Social Science Association.
looking 70 a merging OF the two institu-
I IL - Al 4
emy. The proposition was accepted. and
they were merged From that time to the
present the academy has been growing
in influence and in numbers. It has made
itself the nucleus OF the advanced politi-
cal thought of the country. It has no
creed or doctrine IL does not spend its
time resolving that this should be done
or that the other should not be done. It
collects from all sections Of the country
and from all schools Of thought the best
they have to offer. and then publishes
them In a bi-monthly magazine, known
as the Annals Of the American Academy
Of Political. and Social Science. This
publication. taking the whole series to-
gether. constitutes the complete discus
sion of the various questions with which
the academy deals. There are now about
thirty volumes of these annals, and the
contributors are the best writer's on 20
litical and social economic questions in
the country. Secretary Root, President
Roosevelt. and men of this type are
among the ones who have contributed
articles from time 10 time. Some OF the
articles represent the most thorough IN
vestigatiOns OF the subjects in hand In
short, the academy has given 20 the
country its best collection OF views on
the current questions of society and poll
tics.
All Of the propositions treated are not
as dull and uninteresting TO the layman
as the abstract questions Of government.
For Instance. one writer In recent issue
OF the Annals discusses the question OF
the relation of drunkenness to the wealth
er and comes 10 the conclusion. after
showing his theory by numerous maps
ard charts. that bad weather increases
drunkenness, and good weather decreases
II. Another discusses the relation Of capt
tai punishment TO crime, and by the rec
ords of the States shows that the re-
! rn0x-aI Of fha dooff, v,arolfx~ froraoeoo 49,