The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1888-12-27
EVOLUTION.

/ Mr.. Nye Decides TO Jerk the Rising Gem
GRAFTON into the Dazzling Enalgence 81
| Fermenting Brains.
The following paper was read by me
in clear, resonant tone of voice, before
the Academy of Science and Pugilism
at Erin Prairie. last month, and as
! have been so continually and so earn
estly importuned to print it that life
was no longer desirable, submit it to
you for that purpose, hoping that you
will print my name in large caps, with
astonishers 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 tho subject of evolution full
Justice. 1t is matter of great impor-
| lance to our lost and nndOne race. 1t
lies near to every human heart. and ex-
ercIses wonderful influence over our
| impulses and our ultimate success or
| failure. When we pause to consider
the opaque and fatho,hless Ignorance
| of the great masses of orr feiioW-man
| on the subject of evolution. it is not
surprising that crime is rather on the
| increase, and that thousands of oHrrace
| are annually filing drunhards' graves.
| with no other visible mcans Of support,
while mnltitudes of enlightened human
beings are at the same time earning
livelihood by meeting With feions
| dooms.
These I would ask i'll all seriousness
and in tone OF voice that would melt
the stoniest heart: ..Why in creation
do you do it?'' The time is rapidly
approaching when there will be two or
three fclons for each doom. ann 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 a competitive examina-
ton, as he should do.
1t will be the same with those who
desire to fill drunkaris graves. The
time is almost here when I'LL positions
| of profit and of trust will be carefully
and jutliciously handed out. and those
who do not fit themselves for those pc
sitions will be left in tue lurch. what
ever that may be.
1t is with this fret glaring ME in the
face that have consented to appear
before .you to-day and lay bare The
whole hypothesis, history. Is, and fall,
notifications, anatomy, pa, sie'osv and
geology of evolution. 1t is Tor This hat
| have poured over such WORKS as those
of Huxley. Herbert Spenacr. Moses in
the Bulrushes, AnaAagoras, Lucrctius
and Hoyle 1t is for the purpose of
advancing the CAUSE Of cammon liu-
manity and to jerk the rising genera
ton out of barbarism into the dazzling
effulgence of clashing intclleets and
fermenting brains that | have sought
the works of Pythagoras, Demoeriiu>
and Eplurtbus. Wherever / could
find any baok that bore upon the sub
jet of evolution. and could borrow it.
have done SO while others slept
That is matter which rarely enters
into the minds of those who go easily
and careleSsly through life, Even the
General Superintendent Of the Academy
of Science and Pugiiism here in Erin
Prairie does not stop to think of the
midnight aud other kinds Of oil that /
have consumed in order to fill myself
/
porous mind with thought. Even the
O'Reiily College Of this place, with IT'S
strong mental faculty. has not informed
itself fully relative to the great effort
necessary before a lecturer may speak
clearly. accurately and exhaustingly OF
evolution.
And yet here in this place, where edu-
cation is rampant, and tho i,tea is
patted on The back, as | may say, hero
in Erin Prairie, where progress and
some other sentiments are written on
: everything here. where am addressing
you Tonight for two dollars and feed
for my horse, met little child with a
bright and cheerful smile, who did not
know that evolution consisted in Il
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 " ords of great cast. Moth
ing can be NOR disagrceable to the
J scientist than the bette noirc. Nothing
gives him greater satisfaction than to
! chase it up tree Or mash it between
two shingles.
For this reason, as said, it gives me
: great pleasure to address you on the
subject of evolution, and to go into de-
: tails in speaking of it. / could go on
for hours as / have been doing. de-
lighting you with the intricacies and
peculiarities of evolution, but / must
desist. 1t would please me to do so.
9 and you would no doubt remain pa
. tiently 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. will feel perfectly free
7 to call on me and ask me about it OF
| immerse himself in the numerous tones
Q that have collected from friends, and
which relate to this matter.
In closing wish to say that l have