The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-12-30
EDUCATORS IN CONVENTION.
Annual Meeting Of the Indiana College
and State Teachers Associations.
Papers of Interest Read and DiScussed-Spe-
cial Meeting of the High-SchOOl Section
Eminent Men in Attendance.
THE COLLEGE PROFESSORS.

Paper by Prof Ridpath on ''Ehe True Evolu-
tion"-Colleges Represented.
The annual meeting of the Indiana College
Association, which is composed of the professors
In the various higher educational institutions of
Indiana, began in one of the Bates House par
lors, yesterday afternoon, and will continue
throughout to-day. Prof. John Clarke Rid
path, of DePauw University, presided and the
following presidents and professors represented
their respective institutions:
DePauw-Profs. Ridpath. carp Holman and Car
bart.
Purdue-Profs Thompson Warder and Goss.
State University President Jordan and Prof Val
sntine.
Jenkins.
Butler NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Everest, PrOfs. Ben.
ton and Brown.
Franklin College-Preslont Stott and Prof Hall.
Earlham College-Presdent Mills.
Moores Hill College-Prof Churchill.
Huntsville Observation-Disclosures kiracofe.
The first address yesterday afternoon was by
President Kiracofe his subject being "Educa-
lion and Politics" The discussion was Id by
Prof A. r. Benton, of Butler University, and
participated in by nearly all the members in an
interesting manner, and took up the entire after
noon session.
The principal feature of the evening session
was the address delivered by DR.. John Clark
Ridpath of DePauw University on '"The True
Evolution" in which he particularly spoke Of
'the stage at which the principles of evolution
have now arrived as it relates to our whole
globe, the animals which inhabit it, and the in
situations which the best of these animals have
formulated What the Nowtonian law of gray
itation is to the physical structure of nature
De. Ridpath said, the law of evo.
luton is to the natural history Of
life. There is q false evolution as well as true
There is an evolution which does not evolve;
development which does not develop; a struggle
for life which does not struggle; a natural selec
ton which does not select, and "a survival of the
fittest" which does not survive. The address was
devoted to indicating in brief the lines OF division
between the true and the false doctrine, consid
cred as the modus operandi of universal nature,
None of the great philosophers who have ac-
cepted the doctrine of evolution have assumed
to. solve the question of the ultimate
not assume to go beyond the facts laws, and
processes of organic beings. The difference be
tween the true and false ideas is expressed by
the words evolution and development. That
which is now called man was always man, and
what is true of man is true of every other form
and position of life within the confines of ma
ture. The life of the individual is the eptome
of thelife of the species to which that individual
belongs. Every species of organism il the world
impressed with certain primary laws
Of growth and all the rest is the work of evolu-
ton. The true evolution teaches that the vari-
Gus races of animals and plants have appeared
and now exist under the single general rule of
growth The theory also Indicates that these
organic forms will cease at the end and be re-
solved by the same process of decay which at
tacks and demolshes the structural life of the
individual. First, the world grew second, the
plants grew; third. the animals grew, and fourth
man grew. His career as animal
has been in nowise different from
that of his fellows of the lower
orders of life AS a species he was once
germinal; he had long epoch of unconscious
life: his physical structure was for many years
Radimentary and tentative Afterward he had
his childhood and adolescence. Man, as far as
the development of his structural life is con
cerned. is the result of a long process of evolu-
ton, reaching back almost infinitely into thepast.
Thousands of years may have been required in
the process. Other thousands may be re-
quired before nature shall be salts
fed with her product, Fifth, in
the process of evolution, institutions
grew The social forms which men have insti
tuted obey the same general law of evolution
which prevails in the natural world Civilization
is product 1t is evolved from the mental and
physical activities of men. 1t results from ante
cedent forces which operate by methods of as
similation and growth precisely analogous to
those which determine the movements Of the
natural world
The association will continue in session through
to-day.