The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-02-17
FRIDAY,g February II, 1888
Evolution.

w ara meeting house was wen nller
with an unusually appreciative audi
ence. The occasion was to listen to the
lecture which had been advertised to be
given by Hoo. Joseph Stanford, under
the auspices of the Mutual Improve
ment Association. After the usual
preliminaries had been observed, Coun-
sellor II. H. Thomas announced the
lecture. Mr.. Stanford commenced, by
way of preface, by stating that evolu-
ton was science which aims to prove
that all the creations of God are based
upon the unfolding and developing of
physical laws and conditions exc.u-
sively, and that nothing could be at
tri5uted directly to miraculous power
or the operations of divine being.
Evolution contained many fallaces and
errors, as well as some germs of genu-
inc truth. To admit evolution in its
naked sense, would be to introduce in
fidelity; but he believed the theory of
evolution so far that man is progress
sive being, but to accept evolution as
believed by distinguished professors of
science and theology, was repugnant 70
every better sense and feeling of his ma
ture. The connections OF nature, q
number of which the able speaker
quoted, marring the whole face of this
once beautiful planetary creation, was
not the result of "slow, gradual devel-
opment." What Immediately followed
the crucihxion of the Son of God, as
recorded in Holy Writ, and con-
irmed by the Jewish historian
Josephrs, stand as facts to deny
the modern theory of evolution,
as applied TO the causes of
the changed, deformed, convulsed
appearance of this orce fair world Ii
he admitted evolution in part applied
as the principle upon which the world
was created, gradual unfolding or
princip es and laws operating upon the
elements through successive ages, that
could not be admitted as an argument
that man has come up through certain
changes from the lowest order of ami
mated physical existence to his present
manly form. The speaker then pre-
sented some of the leading and most
prominent features of Darwin's philo-
sophy on the Decent of Man" and
traced the supposed pedigree of man,
according to Darwin's theory, through
ulllO VI ACtOIOPA4Chb 4lOlh bAC
maggot form to the old and new world
monkeys, and then to man and quoted
from Mr.. Curtis in support of his posi-
ton, and as learned criticism of the
Darwinian theory. Mr.. Stanford
caused no little amusement in his han
ding Of the theory that the organs of
the animal species become changed by
their use or disuse, by stating that he
would have been pleased if the evolu
tionary eosists had explained how the
ape lost its tail in the process of being
evolved from the monkey, as the use or
disuse theory as applied by Mr.. Darwin
to birds and animals, could not be ap-
piled to the ape or monkey, for he
could as readily admit of the loss of the
head of this animal. or any other part,
through the lack of functional exer-
else, as to believe he lost his tail fiom
any such cause an indisposition or
neglect to wag it for an illimitable
period of time. During the last 5000
years, man has, through all the ever
varying changed conditions of physical
duration, retained his original identity.
Man was a dual being, having been
formed first spiritually and second
physically, the body organism being
the exact pattern of the spiritual form,
and one could not change without the
other. 1t is one of the immutatle, I'M
changing laws of nature that every
grade OF animated existence retains its
own form and identity, and 20 marked is
the strong affinity in each to its own
kind, that ali are aVerse to mixing with
species and classes not their own, and
nature demonstrates against any viola
ton of the laws pertaining to the pro
creative powers OF the different species
of the animal creation. To carry out
the theory that man has descended
from the lowest forms of organic life. it
would be reasonable to anticipate the
future to evolve other formal changes
through which the brute creation and
man will have to pass. With this view,
which the speaker claimed was a per
fectlY logical one. could there te any
awakening emotions IN the human
heart, any pleasurable reflections, and
impressions regarding our future state2
He would rather take the view which
and praise toward the Divine Being who
brought man TO inherit body, the very
approximation of God. his creator.
Some thinkers we're of the opinion
that the more brain the more intelli-
gsnCe, or the or, alter the intellect the
larger the brain. Mr.. Stanford differed
from this view, being a believer
in quality rather than quantity. He
remembered some thirty years ago
there existed quite mania for the
exhibition of nigh foreheads as an
evidence of great intellect. If the more
the brain the more the intellect, we
wound have good reason to believe that
mind, thought, intelligence, is prop
erty of the brsin, and that an increase
of intellectual power is the natural re-
suit of an increase of brain. In this
even, a young man starting out at the
age OF Is wears in the pursuit of knowt-
edge, as he progresses develops, unfolds,
evolves increased knowledge, his BRAIN
must b come enlarged, which would
necessarily enlarge the head, and would
cause n enlarged sized hat to be re-
quired. As matter of fact. however,
men of every grade of intellect, with
all the changing conditions brought
about By the exercise of their mental |
powers, have not found. after the body |
roc become matured at the age of 81 Il
IN at there haa haau anv an1Srpauppt T