The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1880-06-03

ngures. The rapid extinction OF TIL:
debt is to be desired, first because il
will diminish present burdens, and fol
l. the additional reason that one of a per.
l. sonal national debt is to create pre-
y ferred class, to live on incomes and
J, free from taxes under our laws. Having
g the protection of the government at
9 home and abroad they would contrib.
q ute nothing to its support.
r ECONOMY-It is practicable by CO.
: operation between the executive and
/. Congress to reduce the public expend-
itures many millions annually without
: impairing the efficiency of the public
3 service. Retrenchment is needed for
, the reduction of taxes, but it is also
: needed because properly administered
it would become a potent factor in re-
/ forming the civil service. a 49,
ELECTIoNs-The ballot-box should
be the safe guard of the Republic, for
it is intended to express the free will
) of a free people. Therefore elections
ought to be exempt from the presence
of any menacing force and to be free
from the contamination of corrupt re-
turning boards. No party deserves
confidence that seeks ascendancy by
striking down honest suffrage, either
by the use of troops, by fraud or by in
timidation. 1t would not be proper for
me to express any opinion upon meas
ures pending or proposed in Congress.
My votes will speak for themselves at
the fitting time. e -
Having thus freely answered your
inquiries may add, in conclu-
sion, that my support will be
cheerfully given to any candidate for
President who in good faith will strive
to carry out this general line Of policy,
which, in my Judgment, is of far more
importance than the ambition of any
man or even than the success Of any
party. As ever your friend,
DAVID DAVIS.
Hon. O. III. BROWNING, Quincy, Ill.
THE DOCTRINE OF EVOLUTION.
Prof. Huxley Thinks 1t IL Now an |
Established Fact.
Last night Prof Huxley gave dis
course on The Coming of Age of the
Origin of Speeches." at the Royal Insti-
tuition, in the presence Of q crowded
audience. The Professor referred at
the outset to the appearance of Mr..
Darwin's book in October, 1859, q copy
of the original edition of which he held
in his hand. The doctrine of 6volu-
ton, on which the work was founded,
had spread its influence over the whole
realm of thought. The question which
they had to consider was how it was
that that change had taken place.
There were two factors which had to
be considered in determining this
question, the one the state of mind to
which the evidence was offered, and
the other and he regretted to say, the
subordinate factor, the nature of the
evidence ITSELF In 1859 the state of
the mind of the biological world was
absolutely different to what it was
now, and secondly, the evidence of the
truth or falsehood of the main princi-
pies was absolutely different to what
it was at the present time. AS respects
the state of mind, he confessed that he
looked back with astonishment at the
notions which they were ready to en-
tertain at that time. There was no
stronger illustration of this than the
mode of solving the question of the
past history of this globe. Twenty
five years ago what is known as Cat
astrophic Geology was at the highest
point of its influence, but he did not
suppose there was any one now who
viewed the Catastrophe doctrine ex-
cept as fossil. [Laughter.1 On the
contrary, it was universally admitted
that the key to the past was found in
the present. He believed that there
was nothing which had SO fixed the
doctrine of evolution in the minds of
the scientific men as the realization of
this fact. Mr.. Darwin's q work was but
the natural supplement to Sir Charles
Lyell's IS Principles of Geology" The
kernel of Mr.. Darwin's book lay in
the assertion that the animal species
and the organic beings with which this
world was peopled had all descended
each within its own class sprang from
a common root and common parent,
but they had all been modified in the
course of their descent, and, further,
when he said that all the existing
forms of life were the lineal descend
ants of those which had lived before
the Silurian epoch. If that proposition
was true, the book was the most con-
siderable contribution which had been
given to the world since the time of
Harvey; and if it was false, the rest of
the book was of no consequence. The
necessary corollary to that proposition
was that all forms of life had been con.
nected together, but this was the point
which had been most fiercely attacked
in the discussions to which Mr.. OAR
wins book has given rise. The Pro-
fessor then proceeded to deal at length
with this part of his subject. The alb
sence of any material distinction be-
tween man and the higher animals
was point which it took some three
or four years to get settled. but it was
admitted now on all hands. The con-
nection between the birds and the
other branches of the animal kingdom
was another point which has been
cleared up by subsequent discoveries.
notably of the archeoptay. Again, the
apparent gap between vegetable and
animal life had been disposed of. In
vestigations which had been made
since 1859 had shown how utterly inn
possible it was to attempt to draw any
distinction between the lower animals
and the lower plants. Lastly, the in
fiuence which had powerfully contri-
buted to change the state of mind in