The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1899-01-20
The Century Discussion.
EDITOR DEMoCRAT:

EDITOR DEMOCRAT:
The approaching close of the 10th
century seems to furnish fruitful theme
OF discussion in the columns Of the press.
Much Of it is, no doubt, Improbable be-
cause contrary minded persons Will not
be convinced by mere assertion OF other
peoples opinions. But if the cause oi
truth and chronological accuracy be
aimed at, what now bids fair to become
tiresome controversy, may be turned in
10 more profitable exercise Of historl'
cal research and calm logic. The eetsle-
ment Of the whole controversy hinges
as the DEMOCRAT rightly observes-up-
on the starting point Of the let. century,
whether we are to count from or 0.
We seem to miss the point at issue ale
together when we argue that the Christ
ian era began with the birth OF Chfist'
for as a matter of fact, it did not, how
eve: much Dionysius Exiguus-the
founder of present chronological system
intended it to do so. Since bis intro
duction of the system in the 9th. century,
1t has been generally conceded that he
erred in his calculations, and that in
reality our Savior was born about years
before the beginning of the system. Ii
such be true, where is the warrant for
beginning the century with OF II the
beginning Of the century Gear in mind
we are speaking OF the present chrono'
logical system) be considered in respect
to Ais birth, 1t should be expressed-not
by 0-but by s, as he was at that time
entering upon His 9th year. But it
properly begins with 1, because it lndl-
Gated the commencement Of new sys-
tenn Of chronology; and the chronological
unit is year-not one month, nor Que
day.
There must be fixed point in years
from which to date history.
That fixed point cannot be represented
by character which represents nothing
la. D. represents something-O A. D.
does not. Our numerical system does
not begin with 0. but with l Of ont
thinks otherwise let him couGt his fin
gers)' Ois used only to express deci
mails, and In chronology, to express de
cades or centuries-not starting points
To cay that Christ was born on Dec. 25tl
in the year nothit & is contradictory, TO-
nothing can be born in the year nothing
where there is no time ieh.onoloRicall.
speaKIng) there can be no existence.
There Is but one perod in the histor
of the world when the time is Tecone
from nothing and that period marke
the beginning OF creation when the Cres
tor made all things OF nothing; and tn
very moment something was made &
that instant time was born, and iroI
that instant It has never ceased TO exist
Christ,s birth did not date from nothin
but from sonlething-an exact date
the hlstory of the world-or in the hi
tory Of Rome me-According to the respect
i've Cbronologies. We may sppropriat
that date and say that it was 1900 A. ,
or 749 A q c.. To interpolate
OctWccu i u " hu0 4 n ~ HOdaA ~
suspend time, if that were possible, ar
exist, which would be impossible for, q
Benjamin Franklin observed, time is Il
stuff life lie made of. 1t is to no purpo'
to cay that CHRONOLOGY, either our presel
system or any other system, should
as the life of an individual
reekoned, which is from th
day of his birth, for chronologIes q
nan made systemss they are not boz
and may be made to date from ! or ar
oEher number to suit the convenience
the cronologist.
II, then, the main point iD dispute
whether the century should begin vii
Oor there ought 20 be no further col
fusion Of mind if we can only agree upC
what ought 10 Re an indisputable fac
that the beginning Of the Christian e
las represented in our present cronolol
ical system) or 853 A U G is merely
conventional fixed roint. just as the ye
IT76 is the conventional fx0d point fro
which We dste the fret year of the Anne
lcan independence, and year the tan
BILE stanard OF universal chronology
which is measured the intangible ellen
eut of time. T.
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