The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-07-13

than to his authority as scientific ex-
pert. He loved controversy, he was quick
and keen at literary fence, and his habit
of carrying the war into Africa drew at
tention to him and gave him the position
of champion of the agnostic sect in its
long and warm debates with the relig-
ious sects. He bore himself valiantly in
the fight, and to the last held the air OF
victor. 1t is to be cheerfully, perhaps
we should say thankfully acknowledged,
that he exposed many defenceless propo-
sitions of theology, and put considera-
BILE army of theologians to flight
But he was less successful in en-
trenching himself than in attacking the
enemy. We do not recall single affir-
native point made by him in his various
contentious with the representatives of
religion, that can be said to be estab-
lished. Controversial work is almost al
ways negative, and Prof. Huxley is no
exception. The essay left unfinished at
the time of his death is typical Of his en-
tire effort in this field. He found the
joints in the armor of Gladstone, WAGE,
Elliot, Argyle; but when he came to put
on his own armor there never were
pieces enough to furnish forth a pano-
ply. Acute. learned, brilliant, fearless,
Huxley was fitted to cut figure in liter
ature, politics, religion or science. 1t is,
perhaps, because he yielded to the temp
tation to appear in all of them that he
did not reach the summit in either.
When this paragraph greets the
readers eye the great Christian En-
deavor Convention and the less great
yet very large Convention of Christian
Unioners will be in session in Boston.
Whether the experiment Of holding the
two simultaneously in the same city
was worth making we shall find out.
1t should be said for our own young
people that they have entered into the
project with enthusiasm and that their
leaders have worked upon it with indus
try and skill. The editors of Onward
have kept their irons at white heat
and must have burned Convention and
Christian Union into the minds of a
great many people. Such gatherings Of
our young men and women cannot fail
to stir the pulse of the church, strength
en- the ties of brotherhood and prepare
us all for better service.
The popular appetite for book is
not sure index of the drift of public
opinion. Bellamy's Looking Backward"
had sale quite beyond that Of any pre-
vious work on social or economical
topic. Henry Georges Progress and
Poverty" has had and continues to have
a very large sale. He who should con-
clude from these facts that public senti-
ment in the United States is moving
rapidly or at all, in the direction Of
either Mr.. Bellamy's or Mr.. Georges g
theories, would make a grievous mis-
take. 1t is said that the books of Mr..
w. H. Harvey, author of "Coin's Finan-
cial School," are having an enormous
sale; and MIR. Harvey seems to be of
the opinion that the people Of the coun-
try are with him. But the data on
which he relies are delusive. The four
or five hundred thousand people who
have read his books are, after all, but
one in hundred Of the population.
We venture the prediction that when
the campaign Mr.. Harvey has initiated
is over, it will be found that his views
have had no greater effect on the course
of public sentiment than Mr.. Bellamy's.