p.5

5.

no politician. He voted for honesty &
statesmanship in public affairs. As
chief geologist he performed a great
labor, but was not allowed to com-
plete the work so well begun. A Reform(s)
party disregarded his fitness for the
position and a literary plagiarist
succeeded to it in name, for that was
all he could assume. Dr. Lapham
retired, and science was degraded
to a lever for political power. Increase
Allen Lapham had never studied the
political fossils. This was not the only
time that politics had interfered with
his labors. Expeditions he organized had
sailed without him, Economical and
beneficial research has remained untouched
"because forsooth" he would not barter
his duty, for a paltry vote. Is our go-
vernment some great patrimony held
up to the highest bidder? Have the
words of our illustrious line of statesmen
been forgotten? In this intellectual age
the progress of science is retarded by
the same bare motives that surrounded
its cradle with fire and the [sack?]
kindred degradation of means to ends.
This [vandalism?] in political life has
existed too long. These Iagos playing