The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-02-23
SHALL HE NOT?

The new photography being carried
on bv the agency of Professor Roent-
gems newly discovered X-rays is every
where the sensation and the topic Oh
conversation. 1t has set the expert
mental scientist at work in his labor
atory with new zeal. 1t has thrilled
the medical fraternity with renewed
hope when they think of the posstbili-
ties it opens to their profession in its
struggle against human ailments. II
furnishes the cartoonist an opportu-
nfty for a new treatment Of the sub
iects he lampoons with his wit, sar-
casm and ridicule; and the preacher
and moralist with subject matter for
their more interesting speculatons, as
to it's effects on the moral and spirit
ual life Of man. Among the latter the
following reflections from an editorial
in the Boston Herald under the cap
ton, The Cathode Ray. cannot fail to
be of interest:
1t is too early as yet to determine
the value Of this new power, which Is
seething in the laboratories of our IN
ventors and discoverers, but Of one
thing we may be sure: The new
photography" that enters with the
twentieth century is destined to over
turn the habits and customs of a thou
sand years. Let there be light, says
the wizard of today, and there iselight,
such as never shone on sea or land,
light that penetrdtes the human be-
ing, and lays bare the secrets of heart
and brain, as though they were writ
ten in chalk upon wall. In view of
the marvels being daily recorded,
great terror strikes finite man; he
shakes in his boots as he hears the
scientists cry out, Another" and he
feels like running away, and hiding I'M
til the danger is past, like the child
he is. For what is to prevent the ca
thode rays from printing mems
thoughts, not now, perhaps, but as
soon as the science can be adapted
to such ends, with our Unsuitable curl
osity the inspiration for its develop
ment? In the future, important trans
actions may be conducted under this
all-seeing light; criminals in the dock,
witnesses on the stand, the bridal pair
plighting their troth, the man whose
word is always as good as his bond;
in short, the honest or dishonest will
come under power that can render
the most solemn oath null and void.
Truly a pleasant, state of thingsl For
with the adoption Of this singular dis
covery a new code for state and So
ciety may be necessary.
At least for two centuries science has
been regarded in many quarters as the
enemy of religion. 1t was supposed
that it had disproved the Mosaic ac-
count of the creation, destroyed the
credibility of all accounts containing
whatever was supposed to be miracu
lous; and, in fact, had cast doubt upon
the whole theory of revelation, and
was supposed to have effectuaTly rele-
| gated the Christian volume of revela-
ton to the realms of myth and fable.
1t is not at all unlikely, however, that
the conclusion of the matter will be in
relation to science. to demonstrate the
truth Of the doctrine of Pope, when he
said:
"a little learning Is dangerous thing;
Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian
There shallow draughts intoxicate the
brain,
And drinking largely sobers US again"
Science. when it was supposed to
have disproved the possibility of what
He@D So4AS0 L11C I'LL ebOdAO0O LII oAO5CQ
revelation, and had cast discredft upon
the possibility of revelation itself. had
but reached that stage in it's evolu-
ton where its shallow draughts had
intoxicated its brain; but having con-
ttnued to drink at the fountain Of
learning, having continued it's investi-
cation of truth, it seems destined to
become sober and the chief ally Of re-
vealed religion. That is. it is destin-
ed to be the agent to remove the very
objections to the possibility of mir
acles and of revelation by itself ac-
comprising things well nigh as mir
aculous as those attributed in revela-
ton to the divine power. AS a matter
of fact, there is no miracle. The things
that are called miracles are but such
in appearance.
Two hundred years ago the only mo-
tive power known to ocean navigators
were the winds and the ocean currents.
If at that time the old mariners had
seen one of our modern ocean steam
ers running against both ocean cur