The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1895-07-05
The 9ein0rrat.
What is Man?

This question was asked and at once
answered, few days ago, by DR.. Ly-t
man Abbott, Pastor of Plymouth church,
Brooklyn, N. Y. And there is no mis-
take about it. Dr. Lyman Abbott is
very learned man and knows! Here is
what he says: ''What is man? First OF
all, man is an animal. There is abso-
lutely no doubt abou. that. Compara-
tive physiology a.tests it, whether we
like it or not. There is no question that
man assembled from lower animal or
der. Whether the W hole race did is open
to doubt, but We did everyone OF us"
1t may be very great presumption in
me to call IN question DR.. Lyman Alb
bott's ipse dixit, but that is Just what
do. Mere ipse dixit proves nothing to
my mlhd. II any one asserts that "there
is no question tina: man assembled from
a lower animal order" say he asserts
that which is not true. There is no
question on this very point. The ascent
of man from lover animal order is call
ed in question by many OF the foremost
scientists Of the world, and DR.. Lyman
Abbott knows that such 10 the fact, or
ought 10 know it before he sets himself
up as a lecturer before University stu
dents. Perhaps he has forgotten that
he was once student himself and did
not accept all the ipse dixits of lecturers
in the class room and elsewhere. II he
has and will come to Albany. he may he
reminded of the fact. OF one thing
am certain. There are students In the
College who would no. accept, without
proc, his assertion that imam is as
cended from lower animal order"
The paper in which the Doctors leo
ture wss reported did not state from
what lower ANIMAL order he thinks he is
ascended, but suppose 1t gas from the
ape or monkey away back in the asons
OF asons that passed away before hissor.
ic man appeared on TIE garth. What
ever mot Nhoeser) his ancsslors we're,
they lived long before the time Of Adam,
Far lack beyond that, perhaps millions
of ages, his progenitors roamed the for.
ests, clim Sed the trees and performed
gymnastics by suspending themselves 10
the limbs by their caudal appendages.
At frst they did not walk erect but went
| on all fours." Bye and bye, in some way
| unkaogn to their ascendants (the Doc.
tor does not tell ~ bowl they learned to
walk erect. Perhaps ct frst they found
by experience. that, like the wood
chuck or bear they could sit erect on
buttocks. Encoura ;ed by their success
latter wearing of their caudal sppen-
| dages) they made an effort 10 stand on
their posterior pedal lextremi'ies, and
their efforts geEa successful. Then they
tried the experiment o{ walking. and
| found, after many a tumble, that they
could keep the center Of gravity over the
| base and at the same time make for
ward (or bsckward) movement. THUS
the quadIuped became a biped, and the
ape heesme a man. This is the way in
which man ascended trom q lower ami.
NAL order according iG the abbo,tic evo-
luton theory and thSt OF all lhe ascend.
ants o! the ape, who seem 10 be proud oI
their geneaioSy. Just where the ground
for pride comes In, do not sse. II be
lieved l was an evolved ape, would bs
mighty reticent about my ancestry and
if "my paternai ancestor" reminded me
of my pedigree, would try to get all the
comfort I could from the reply of the iii
tie girl vho vas thus reminded: "And
90 you see" said hs, Fop mus. never
again feel vain or proad Of yourself, fol
you must remember that yoa are only
the descendant, OF an ape. Now do , ou
understand-of an ape?" We'll, Papa
said the scientific little lady, - think
do understand you, but any how you are
a step nearer the ape than am"
1t seems very strange to me that any
one, and especially . d D. can believe
/. the theory that he is an evolved ape,
say theory, for that is just what it lie
theory simou-pure (or perhaps simiar
pure would be better); and such It wil
always remain. The missing link be
tween the lower animal order and man
has never been found 10y Dr. Lyman
Abbott or any other evolved ape and
until it is found and recognized br ali
biological scientists a. the needed miss.
ing link, no ape-eyolyed convuitionisi
can faithfully say: There is no Ques
tion that man is ssceaded from lower
animal order" That lie an sxiomatic
| ipse dixit of
4 Descendant or ADAM.