The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-04-24
JORDAN ON OLUTION.
Says Darwin's "Or1. n of Species" Is
the One Great Book of the Century.
San Francisco Chronicle.

San Francisco Chronicle.
President David Starr Jordan, Of Stan
ford University, told the Socialists last
night what evolution was and what it was
crowded by an audience which listened to
President Jordan with respectful attention.
Later there were questions which took
socialistic turn. The lecturer firmly but
politely declined to answer questions not
germane to the subject and declared his
intention not to discuss matters on which
he disagreed with the Socialists. The talk
was couched in President Jordan's usual
crisp and vigorous language. 1t briStled
with startling juxtapositions and put the
old truths in g. new light, making them
plain to the most immature mind. He be-
gan by saying that evolution was the most
important thing in the nineteenth century,
and yet many people in enlightened lands
had never heard of it, even as there were
many people in China who did not know
to this day that there hadSbeen Japanese
Chinese war.
IF were to ask definition through the
audience tonight" remarked the speaker,
1.-THE average composite definition would be
that evolution is something about man and
monkeys which contradictS the Bible. And
yet the great book of the nineteenth century
which will outlive all the rest is DarwinS
Origin of Species
There is some uncertainty about the
evolution of things that are not alive We
know more about the laws that govern the
evolution of living forms Evolution is or
derby change. There is no such thing as
revolution which endures. 1t may appear
sudden, but it is really orderly change. The
life of man is SO nearly instantaneous as
compared with the history Of the races that
it is hard to see the change History only
goes back q few minutes, as it were
THE science that treats of change is the
science of evolution or bionomis, which
means the law that governs life. What we
mean by law in science is simply the way
in which things come about. We find what
nature wants by the things which nature
permits. The Arabs have this proverb, If
God should wink at single act of injus-
tice. the whole universe would shrivel up
like cast-off snake skin Nature cannot
break her laws, and our suggestions and
amendments are not taken very seriously.
By this do not mean to discourage hu-
man effort, for the human will is part of
the law and must be taken into account"
The lecturer then went into homology,
stating that where resemblance exists there
is blood relationship.
There is no scientist he said, who can
carry on his work without holding this view.
Not a man can reject this view and look
an animal in the face. It is only when the
connecting link is gone that we can tell
where one species begins and another ends"
President Jordan then spoke of evolution
as a system Of philosophy. One of his
quantity humorous observations in regard
TO philosophy was that the narrower the
IN the air. The reason he gave for the de-
cay Of creeds was that truth is gradually
crystallized out and adopted by the rest Of
the world until only error remains.
The lecturer spoke of natures long mem
DRY and the existence in man of old or
gans long oGtgrown. which proves that man
could not have been brand-new creation.
He spoke of the force of heredity and in
dividuality, the power of environment and
self-activity and lastly the power of al
turism. Man he said, had been separated
from and raised above the lower animals
by his power Of loving.
But evolution does not mean that man is
an evolutionary monkey They simply
came from a common stock and are con-
staatly diverging Evolution does not mean
continuous progress. for many groups have
not progressed. nor does it mean spontan-
esous generation. It is not creed or a re-
Bile is a religion.
Evolution is not occult, and ii is not
mysterious" concluded the lecturer AN
occult thing either isn't true or we don't
understand It. There is no hocus pocus in
the universe. One thing is certain-the laws
ard truths of evolution are not to be met
except on grounds Of science. If you can't
understand what the law the survival OF the
incest is. tho only thing to do Is TO gek q
few OF the fttest and watch themss