The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1898-01-18

THE THEORY OF EVOLUTION.

there seems to have been, once
in while, faint knowledge of
the fact of progress in the ami
mate and inanimate beings in ma
ture, but it always was so vague
and unexpressed that the search
er of facts in history passes
them by with hardly thought.
Yet the theory of revolution"
taking it as a basis of a science,
is the outcome of the enlight-
ment of the nineteenth century.
In 1878 Leibunz expressed it
as his opinion that the earth was
once in a fluid condition, and
about 1850 Kant definitely pro-
pounded the nebular hypothesis
which was strengthened by Her
chefs into a theory. About the
same time the suggestion was
made by Button, that there was
a possibility of the transmutation
of species among animals. The
idea was quickly grasped by 9th
ers and followed out to almost
the present theory. Lord Mon
boddo, that queer, half crazed
scientist, was the first to make
the assertion that man descended
from the ape, and about 1916
Charles Darwin brought forward
his great hypothesis, now known
to the world as ''Darwin's Theo-
ry."
The greatest apostles of evolu-
ton were Herbert Spencer and
Chas. Darwin. The latter brought
out his great work "Origin of
the Species" in 1856, the foun-
dation of which was, the differ
ent species originated in spon-
taneous variation, and the sur
vival of the fttest through natur-
al selection and the struggle for
existence. This theory was fur
Their elaborated by Huxley, Spen-
Ger, Powell and Darwin, and
though today it is not entirely
upheld, still, evolution is ac-
knowledged by nearly all scien-
lists as principal.
The evolution theory declares
that the universe, as it now is,
to be the result of long series
of changes, which were so far
related to each other as to form
a series of growths, analogous to
the evolving parts of growing
organism. Spencer defines evo-
luton as a progress from the
homogeneous to the hetersgene-
Gus; from general to special from
single, to the complex elements
and forms of life and it is believ-
ed that this process can be trac-
ed in the formation of worlds in
space; in the multiplication of
types and species among animals
and plants; in the origin and
changes of language and litera-
ture; and in the changes of the
human institutions and societies.
Asserting the general fact of
progress in nature, the evolution
theory shows that the method
of this progress has been (a) by
the multiplication of organs and
functions (b) according to a de-
finite unity of plan although with
(c) the intervention of transition
al forms; and (d) with modifca-
IlonS dependent upon surround
ing conditions of country and
climate.
By all their theorizing, they
will never become well enough
satisfied of the real origin of man
to- not have an opposite faction
with which to dispute.
The oldest known specimen of
mankind (known to scientists as
the Mentone man) was found at
Mentone, France, and though of
very low order of humankind.
was still as much human beino
as you or |, and though the ape
has been accredited the honor of
being the progenitor of the lords
of creation, yet the only evidence
that can be brought to prove the
same is, that the ape flourished