Sierra County advocate. [volume] (Kingston, N.M.) 1884-1960, 1886-01-23

you for that purpose, hoping that you
will print my name in large caps, with
astonishcrs at the end of the article,
and also in good display type at the
close:
SOME FEATURES OF EVOLUTION.
No one could possibly, in brief
paper, do the subject of evolution full
justice. 1t is matter Of great impor-
tance to our lost and undone race. 1t
lies near to every human heart, and ex-
ercises wonderful influence over our
impulses and our ultimate success or
failure. Whom we pause to consider
the opaque and fathomless ignorance
of the great masses of our fcllow-man
on the subject of evolution, it is not
surprising that crime is rather on the
increase, and that thousands of our race
are annually filling drunkards' graves,
with no other visible means of support,
while multitndes 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 it?n The time is rapidly
approaching when there will 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
plicant for felon's doom will have to
pass through competitive examina-
tion, as he should do
1t will be the same with those who
desire to fill drunkards' graves. The
time is almost here when all positions
of profit and of trust will be carefully
and judiciously handed out, and those
who do not fit themselves for those po-
sitions will be left in the lurch, what |
ever that may be.
1t 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
l have poured over such works MS those
OF Huxley, Herbert Spenscr, Moses in
the Bnlrushcs, Anaxagoras, Lucretius
and Hoyle. 1t is for the purpose of
ton out Of barbarism into the dazzling
eiinlgcnec of clashing intellects and
brains that have sought
the works of Pythagoras, Democrtus
and Eplurebus. Wherever could
find any book that bore upon the sub
ject of evolution, and could borrow it,
have done 80 while others slept.
That is n 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 Pugilism 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
D Reilly College of this place, with its
strong mental faculty, has not informed
Itself fully relative to the great effort
necessary before a lecturer may speak
,learly, accurately and cxhaustingly of
And yet here in this place, where edu
,ation is rampant, and the idea is
Datted on the back, as ] may say, here
n Erin Prairie, whore progress and
'ome other sentiments are written on
very thing here, where am addressing
you tonight for two dollars and feed
or my horse, met a little child with Il
bright and cheerful smile, who did not
know that evolution consisted In u
progress from the homogeneous to the
So YOU see that you never know
where ignorance Turks. The hydra
headed upas tree and bette noiro of self
lcting progress, is such ignorance AS
hat, lurking in the very shadow of
educational institutions
md hard words of great cast. Moth
ny can be more disagreeable to the
scientist than the bette noire. Nothing
gives him greater satisfaction than to
,hase it up tree or mash it between
wo shingles.
For this reason, as | said, IL gives me
,reat pleasure to address you on the
ubiect of evolution, and TO go into de-
ails in speaking of it. | could go on
or hours rs | have been doing, de-
lighting you with the intricacics and
lesist. 1t would please me to do so,
md you would no doubt remain pa
iently and listen, but your business
night suffer while you are away, and
10 ] will close, but | hope that any one
low within the sound of my voice. and
n whose breast sudden hunger for
more light on this great subject may
lave sprung up, will feel perfectly free
o call on me and ask me about ii or
himself in the numerous tones
hat have collected from friends, and
which relate to this matter.
In closing | wish to say that | have
made no Statements in this paper rcla
i've 10 evolution which | am not pre-
jared TO prove; and, if anything, /
ave been over conservative. For that
eason | say now, that the person who
Ioubts . single fact as | have given 1t
o-night, bearing upon the great sub
ret of evolution, will have to do so
ver my dumb remains
And man who will do that is no
| presume that many OF
hose statements will be snapped up
nd sharply criticised by other theo- {
pgians and many Of our foremost $
hinkers, but they will do well TO pause
efore they draw me into controversy,
or / have other facts in relation to
and some personal remln-
scenes and family history, which | am 4
repars,. to introduce, if necessary. to- I
ether with ideas that | have thought
u myself So say to those who may {.
ope TO attract notice and obtain noto- n
Iety by drawing me into controversy, !
eware. II viii be to your inr rest TO I
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