Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1899-08-11
WHOLE NUMBER 2,O55.
INVENTOR EDISON.
HE BELIEVES IN THE EXISTENCE
OF SUPREME FORCE.

Tx 0GIIEVG0I TN bC6 G\tSu 6NSG
OF A SUPREME FORCE.
Science Demonstrates the Existence Of Su.
preme lntelsence--The World Is Run Like
Great Railroad-Does Not Believe in An.
swers to Prayer-Asnostic in His Views Of
Future Existence.
Interview in an Eastern Paper.
After nineteen and more centuries
of belief in religion through the evil
dence of miracles and moral utter.
ances has science at last demonstrated
beyond doubt the existence of God?
This is the question put to Thomas A.
Edison in his laboratory the other
day. Here is what he replied:
"Chemistry undoubtedly proves the
existence OF a Supreme Intelligence.
No one can study that science and see
the wonderful way in which certain
elements combine with the nicely of
the most delicate machine ever de.
vised and not come to the inevitable
conclusion that there is a big engineer
who is running this universe.
"Why, after years OF watching the
process OF nature I no more doubt the
existence of an intelligence that is
running things than 1 do the existence
OF myself. Take, for example, the
substance of water that forms the
chrystals known as ice. Now, there
are hundreds of combinations that
form chrystals, and every one of them,
save that Of ice, sinks in water. Ice, /
say, doesn't And it is rather lucky
for us mortals, for if it had done so
we would all he dead. Why? Sim
ply because if the ice sank to the bot
tom of the rivers, lakes and oceans as
fast as it froze these places would
soon be frozen up and there would be
no water left. That is only one ex-
ample of thousands that to me prove
beyond the possibility of doubt that
some vast intelligence is governing
this and other planets"
"What else does nature tell you
about the Supreme Intelligence~
"Nothing MORE" said Edison,
shaking his head. "That's all can
read. Some other person may come
along by and by and discover other
attributes nature teaches about this
Being. But intelligence is all my re-
search has revealed. Indeed, the SCI
enlist of the future may make nature
tell us as much about this intelligence
as the Bible processes to reveal"
"Would you not call this intelli-
gence the Creator~ was asked.
NO." said he quizzically. "Now
you are leaving science and getting
into the meshes of logic. Nature
doesn't spell Creator for me, though it
does spell Mind"
"Do you believe this Supreme Intel
ligence hears and answers prayers~
"No, sir" said the inventor with
emphasis. "It's an insult to the wis.
dom of the Engineer to ask him to Go
this or that, as though you knew bet
ter how to do things than He does.
He is big enough to need no advice
from us little babies"
Besides" continued he warmly,
claw, absolute law, holds everything
in its grip like vice. Just as certain
combinations of chemicals harmonic,
and others when brought into contact
result in an explosion, 80 if we obey
the laws that rule the world we will
be happy, and if we don't we are liable
to get hurt" said Edison, smiling
grimly.
"The world is run just like great
railroad-only better. Here the sys-
tenn of rules is so perfect that the
President can go off on a vacation
whenever he feels like it and all trains
will run along as smoothly as ever.
Do you suppose the Intelligence in
charge of the universe with its bill
lions of flying planets, has time or in
clination to be at the beck and call of
every Tom, Dick and Harry that hap
pens to stub his toe agoinst one Of the
eternal laws and wants the law altered
to suit his selfish convenience? No,
sir"
"Do you believe in future life?"
was asked.
81 don't know anything about this
this life, to say nothing of the life
hereafter. What are we here for?
Who knows? l DON'T" said the in
ventor, turning around suddenly and
peering into my face with look of
sympathy and sadness. care you
happy? Well, mo st people are not.
Many are sick; nearly all are misera-
BILE from some trouble or other. If l
could solve the riddle of this life /
might have some ideas about the next.
Oh, I don't knoww he said meditat-
lively, half closing his eyes and leaning
on bench in the laboratory. "I
know something about science-about
steam and iron and electricity-but
this matter of destiny-why We came
here and where we are going-is be-
yond my KEN"
A Diamond Tragedy.