Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-06-28


OF politics and Of education we md the
search for truth gaining great triumphs
In the meantime, In the realm g: SCI
ence, Dalton, Gay Lussac a~t Arogadro
we're working out more explicitly the laws
of natural science; by experimentation
and application they were giving to the
world much which later made up the
mass Of scientific material underlying the
industrial development of the last part
Of the 18th century. In physics Helm
holtz was producing his great laws of
wave motion. which made possible later
steps In the progress of telegraphy and
telephony. In 1859. the year before Lin
coins first election and the outbreak of
the Civil War, Darwin and Wallace gave
to the biological world the theory Of nat
ural selection and developing the prin-
cples of selective and competitive class
incation, a theory which marks a great
epoch in the history of biology, which
gave much to kindred science, and which,
while 1t awakened resentment on the
part of some churchmen, finally cleared
the atmosphere of pessimistic religious
concepts. II ever the struggle between
dogma and the search for truth were
presented to US in striking setting, 1t
was at this time when Darwin gave forth
his great ideas. Later Pesteur that won
Of technique, united physics, chemistry
and biology in his tests and applications.
and the victory marked an epoch in the
history of science.
All these revolutionary changes in sci
ence were occurring at the same time
this country-politically and socially-was
undergoing changes as equally revolu-
tionary. The opening of the West, the
development Of Industrial and agriculture
al methods, the influx Of immigrants, all
combined to change the face Of our ma
tional life. Heretofore the search for
truth had been distinct in political as
we'll as in the social and intellectual
worlds. During the last two decades, the
constant application Of science and Of
scientific methods-the use Of philoeoph-
ical concepts of social needs and stand
ards-has in reality been of great conse-
quence in the political and industrial
life. 1t is no longer possible to consider
the history of science and the history Of
State as wholly separate. Not only is
there a real bond between them, but this
bond Is visible. Turn out to the Panama
canal-that wonderful creation Of diplo-
macy, Of government and Of engineering
for an example of this constant and
growing relationship between science and
the State. The search for truth-the
| tight against dogma-are of consequence
| in any field Of endeavor which present to
| US a vital interest.
We have seen in this short space the
constant struggle between truth and dog
| NAVE have seen how freedom the es-
sence Of truth, has been developed In our
| political and intellectual life. For us
there is an application of what we have
learned. Leaving aside the many in
| cidents Of the day, let US recognize SIM
ply that the battle which we fight is
that of truth-truth in a democracy which
makes for Decentralization of the mind
and of the body-against the dogma of
miltarism, produced as it has. been by
the intellectual and moral stagnation of
a nation. Nor must we forget that dog
| ma may exist at home-not SO terrible.
perhaps. as the Hohenzollern dogma. yet
dangerous nevertheless, for it shuts of
the free expression which we know is
SO necessary for national confidence and
for true national growth.
In twenty minutes in spirit have re-
viewed twenty centuries from the Greek
astronomer to the latest development OF
the last invention for submarine de-
struction and as the roll unfolds what IL
the message to us-the scholars of to-
day? What Is our essential part in our
day of this long struggle between truth
and dogma?
Is it not to remember that the strife
between dogma and the search for truth
is eternal? Dogma is crystallized, dead
and incapable of growth. Truth IL pro-
gressive and of eternal life. The test OF
our intellectual power lies in our ability
to give up the old for the new. providing
the new has been proved-to tear down
the worn out structures and give way tc
the more effective-to discard prejudices-
to give up our cherished superstitions-tc
analyze. to select the best. to synthesize-
to look upon life with an open mind-to
have the strength to carry out our con.
victions even in the face of the most OBJ
durate dogmatism, and to throw tht
whole power and service of modern
scholarship to wise public service
which shall pilot the nations to a newer
and greater democracy q freer ant
nobler life than man has ever lived be
fore.