Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1878-03-16


ruled the world; for man, Its present
master, had not vet appeared on the
stage. During the ice period, the eli
mate of Greenland was brought as far
south AS New York, and broken sheets
OF ice held all nature in the embrace of
death for thousands of wears. Whole
races of animals and plants persisted,
but those forms that were driven far
south survived, and ultimately moved
northward with the amelioratiOn of the
climate, and were attended by new
element in the history of the world,
primitive man.
We see that the geological record, as
lar rs it goes, is more authentic and
credible than any uninspired history,
since it contains no personal equation,
is the product of no prejudice, passion,
or partial view, which color all human
histories. but is authentic and necessari-
~ true; that the earlier chapters of this
history, those which contain the records
OF the beginning of life, are for the most
part obli.erated and illegible; that there
are many gaps in the narrative which
doubtless will be, but up to the present
time have not been, filled; and thus that
the record consists of Il series of chap
tiers, more or less disconnected. The
evidence is conclusive that the earliest
fauna and flora of which we have any
knowledge consisted of fewer elements,
and these of simpler structure, than in
any succeeding age. Also that there
has been a constant and progressive in
crease in the variety of animals and
plants, and in the completely of their
structure. This progress of life is so
evident and general that, we can not re-
sist the conclusion that it is the express
sion of law in other words, that it is
the operation of forces rs distinctively
determinative as those which produce
and guide the motions of the heavenly
bodies. The parallelism of the progress
of life through the geological ages with
that of the growth OF an individual from
a germ, is so close that most students of
paleontology are inspired with the con-
viction that the life-forms of the differ
ent ages are links in a connected chain
in other words, that the later forms are
derivations from those which preceded
them. This is evolution, and therefore
most biologists are evolutionists, and
they believe that evolution is not only
exemplified in the progress of life, but
that it is law of nature. ~.
We now come to the question of ques- |
tons: What is the cause which has pro-
duced the progress of life? One group |
of biologists, with Mr.. Darwin, believes |
that external influences alone have pro-
duced the diversity of animals and
plants. Another group believes that the |
influence which has produced these eff
fects has emanated from within the or
ganism, and has been an essential fea-
lure in its life and growth. External
have 4 most potent influ-
ence, as Mr.. Darwin has shown, but We
may question the adequacy of the agen-
cies he invohes to produce the effects he
claims for them. There are many facts
which it is impossible with our present
lights to reconcile with his theory.
will present some OF the difficulties
which, up to the present time, have
prevented me from accepting, in all its
length and breadth, Darwinism as the
theory of the universe, and have COM
PEELED me TO hold the law Of evolution,
not rs creed, but as conviction
There is first, the breaks in the chain of
life, which till they are filled forbid the
cautious scientist TO accept as demon
,trated the derivation Of the latter forms,
N all eases, from the earlier. Professor
Huxley explains the persistent types of
life BY saving that if the spontaneous
-ariafinn of a snecips does not give
{ an advantageous form or struo-
ure. that vaviety has not been
or no profitable va
-iation has been nit upon. To my
mind, this explanation is inadequate,
BECAUSE | can not conceive that highly
animal with complicated
like the nautilus should pass
through all the revolutions of the globe
without being more affected than it has
leen by external circumstance unless