Arizona silver belt., 1888-07-07
The Mental Future of the Lower Animal.

In the current number of the North American Review, William Hosea Bal lou discusses the question: "Are the Lower Animals Approaching Man?" Considering the remarkable advance in evolution of the lower animals, he submits the following propositions:
 1. That many species of lower ami 'mals of to-day possess a higher men tality to-day than the lower class of men to day.
 2. That the mental differences of man and the lower species are to somO extent the result of training, experi- enees and tenacity of life.
 8. That the mental future of the lower animal may become more equal ized with that of man; that a method of cenversing with animals is possible.
 In discussing the third proposition MT. BallOu says:
 1t has been clearly established by evolEtionists that man, like the do- mestie animal, descended through ge- ological perleds in which he had no mentality above instinct. Before he showed mental activity man, accord ing to the best and now agreed au- thorities, led by Cope, was an anthro- poid ape, and before that an anthrc- pOid lemur. In those early stages of his history he was not endowed with a potential mentality But what seems the most startling in modern times is that the human child, left to himself, according to Edward s. Morse, President of the American Association fer the Advancement of Science, would be an idiot or a wild man. None eff the overwhelming, vast knowledge ac- cumulated through ages seems to be- come instructive in the human race or IS heCeditarily bequeathed. The knowl- edge which the child acquires has to be taught him. After he learns the elemsntals from others he begins to use his organs of sight and hearing to add to his knowledge. What does this teach? Simply that the lower animals are yet children, and to be- come learned like man must be taught as diligently as he, and from their in- fancy. If man has required 15;e0O years to accumulate the sum total of knowledge of to-day, certainly t1reless years must be spent with the lower species to advance their mentality to a state somewhat equal to hIs own. It IS obvious from the array of visible in telllgence in the modern lower animal that he can be taught much more than is known by man, together with its utility.
 Fo the query: "Hcw can the lower animals be taught?" he makes answer,
 The best animals must be separated from their kind, those showing the highest mentality mated with each other. Their offspring must be as carefully taught, as is the babe, such mere elements of knowledge as they are best enabled to acquire. The de scendants through successive genera tions and through years, if necessary must receive the same dlligent atten tion and teaching that has advanced the mentality of man. That the low CT animal of himself has been unable to acquire knowledge by experience tC such an extent as man is no reason why we should despair of his ultimate emancipation. Given the same train Ing and advantages that man has en nobled himself with during the las several hundred years and many lowel animals would be endowed with mucl knowledge and its utility, and be abl, to converse with us
 In conclusion, the author presume that some method may be discovered by which many eff the lower animal can communicate to us what they xHow,