Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1886-01-07
rvolurlon.


Il Erin Prairie, last month, and as
laye been SO coWnaally aud so earn
'stly imporiuned to print II that life
was no longer desirable, | submit il to
you for that purpose, hoping that YOU
will print my namo In large caps, with
islonishcrs at the end Of the article,
and also in good display type at the
alosoi
soME FEATURES on EVOLUTION,
No one could possibly, In brief
papor, DO the subject OF evolution full
Justice II Is o matter Of great impor-
anoo 10 our lost aud undone race, IL
lies near To oeyery human heart, and ex-
,rcises wonderful influence over our
impulses and our ultimate success or
failure, When We pause TO consider
the opaque and fathomless ignorance
Of the great masses Of our fellow-man
on the subject Of evolution, II Is not
surprising that crime is rather on the
increase, and that thousands OF ourraee
are annually filling drunkards' graves,
with no other visible means Of support,
while multitudcs OF enlightened human
beings are at the same time earning
a livelihood by meeting with felons
dooms.
These | would ask In all seriousness
and in tone Of voice that would melt
the stoniest heart; "Why in creation
do YOU do itpn The time Is rapidly
approaching when there viii be two or
three felons for each doom. am sure
that within the next fifty years, and
perhaps sooner even than that, instead
OF handing out these dooms to Tom.
Dick and Harry as formerly every APP
plisanl for fclon's doom will have to
pass through competitive examine
ton. as he should do,
II will be the same with those who
desire to ill drunkards' graves. The
time Is almost here when all positions
OF profit and of tlsst viii be carefully
and iudciously handed out. and those
who do not iit themselves for those po-
sitions will be left in the lurch, what
ever that may be.
II Is with this fact glaring me in the
face that | have consented to appear
before you to-day and lay bare the
whole hypothesis, history, rise and fall,
notifications, anatomy. physiology and
geology Of evolution 1t is for this that
| have poured over such works as those
Of Huxley, Hel4ert Spcnser, Moses in
the Bulrushes, AnaNagoras, Lunretius
and Hoyle 1t is DOR the purpose of
advancing the cause of common hui
manity and TO jerk the rising genera
tion out of barbarism into the dazzling
ellulgence Of clashing intelleets and
fermentng brains that have sought
the works of Pythagoras, Democrtus
and Eplurebus Wherever | could
find any book that bore upon the sub
ject of evolution, end could borrow it,
have done so while others slept
That is a matter which rarely enters
into the minds Of those who 90 easily
and carelessly through life, Even the
General Superintendent Of the Academy
Of Science and Pugiism here in Erin
Prairie does not stop to think Of the
midnight and other kinds Of oil that
have consumed in order to fill myself
full OF information and to soak my
porous mind with thought Even the
O'Reilly College Of this place, with its
strong mental faculty has not informed
itself fully relative to the great effort
necessary before lecturer may speak
clearly, accurately and exhaustngly Of
evolution.
And yet here in this place, where edu
cation is rampant, and the idea is
patted on the back, as | may say, here
in Erin Prairie, where progress and
some other sentiments are written ons
everything here, where am addressing
you tonight for two dollars and feed
for my horse, met a little child with a
bright and cheerful smile, who did not
know that evolution consisted in
progress from the homogeneous TO the
heterogeneous.
So you see that you never know
where ignorance Turks. The hydra
headed upaS tree and bette noire of self
acting progress, is such ignorance as
that, lurking in the very shadow of
magnificent educational institutions
and hard words of great cast Moth
ing can be more disagreeable 70 the
scientist than the beto noire Nothing
gives him greater satisfaction than to
chase it up tree or mash it between
two shingles.
For this reason, as said, II gives me
great pleasure TO address you on the /
subject of evolution, and to go into de-
tails in speaking Of il. could 90 on |
for hours as | have been doing. de. |
lighting YOU with the intricacies and /
peculiarities Of evolution, but | must /
desist II would please me to do so,
and you would no doubt remain pa
isntly and listen, but your business
might suffer while you are away, and
so | will close, but hope that any one
now within the sound OF my voice, and
in whose breast sudden hunger for
more light on this great subject may
have sprung up, viii feel perfectly free
to call on me and ask me about it or
immerse himself in thenumerous tones
that | have collected from friends, and
which relate to this matter.
In closing | wish 10 say that have
made no statements in this paper rcla-
tive TO evolution which am not pre-
pared TO prove; aud, II anything |
have been over conservative. For that
reason say now, that the person who
doubts single fact as | have given il
tonight, bearing upon the great sub
ject Of evolution, viii have 10 do so
over my dumb remains.
Aud a man who viii do that is no
gentleman. / presume that many Of
these statements viii be snapped mp
and sharply criticised by other theo-
Iogians and inany of our foremost
but they will do well so pause
before they draw me into a controversy,
Tor ] have other facts In relation TO
evolution. and some personal rcmin-
scenes and family history, which ] am
TO Introduce. il necessary. to-
gether with ideas that | have thought
up myself So ! say 10 those who may
hope 10 attract notice and obtain noto-
riety BY drawing me into controversy, /
beware. Il viii be 30 your interest 10
DeWarei-BN Ngo, ia Boston Globe
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