The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1900-01-18
a Letter From DR.. c. s. Webb on the
Century Question.

a Letter From Dr.. c. s. Webb on the
Century Question.
To The Free Lance:
If you are not already tired of the
subject would like to take short
review Of the article in your issue Of
January 18th, by "R. X. Howison,
LL. D." entitled "Are We Living
IN the Twentieth Century of the
Christian Era2r Although so much
has been written about it,there seems
to be yet a good deal Of uncertainty
in the minds of some on this subject.
% the last week Of December one Of
the Baltimore papers announced that
the next issue of the paper would be
"in the 10Th century" whereupon
the Baltimore American asks: What
is the matter with our esteemed
neighbor, that he has decided to
suspend the publication of his paper
for whole year,
DR.. Howlson inyokes the aid Of
mathematics, chronology and his
tory to show that we are now living
in the 20th century. He dates from
the birth of Christ and concludes
that when the full period of one
hundred years from the birth of
Christ had come to an end. the Chris
tian Era designated that point
Of time as the First Century
and the next moment of the
next day was in the second century"
hat Is true, but he proceeds to as
sumo that" the mark A d. 500 meant
the end Of the fifth century" and
that " on precisely the same princi-
Piles of designation the marked year
1900 meant the end Of the nineteenth
century, and the next day was in the
twentieth century. Therefore, we are
now living in the twentieth century
of the Christian era " AS mathe.
matical demonstration | do not think
we can admit the " q. K. d. " Let
us go back little. The Doctor ad
mits that when the first hundred
years had come to an end that was
the end of the first century, and that
the next day WAS in the sec ond cent
ury, and that was, of course, the
beginning Of the year one hundred
and one. But observe that one hun
dred years have already been counted
aud completed and rolled into the
past before the second century be
gins. That is the Doctors starting
point, and thus far we agree with
him. But how can he then Jump
to the conclusion that " A. d. 500
meant the end of the fifth cent
ury," when, in truth, the year had
not ended 1t was only the begin
ming of the one hundredth year of
that century. If not, then the begin
ming of the year one hundred was in
the second century, which would
be contrary to the Doctors beginning.
Moreover, it would be assuming that
the end of the year ninety-nine was
the end Of the first century, and
therefore it takes only ninety-nine
years to make a century, or the Doc
ter must have started Just one year
before the birth of of Christ, or just
as we would say that the difference
between minus one and ninety'nlne
is one hundred.
Let anybody take two thousand
grains of corn and arrange them in
piles of one hundred each. When he
has completed the first pile he says;
"One hundred" and when he says
zone hundred and one" he drops that
grain into the second pile, and it con-
tinues to be the second pile until he
says 1.-TWO hundred" and drops tha.
grain into it, But if these piles repre-
sent centuries then the second pile
represents the second century until it
is completed by dropping in the last
grain. And therefore when he says
two hundred and one' he drops that
grain into the third pile, which is
the third century,the very beginning
of it. Now, we are not yet ready to
say nineteen hundred and one,"
and so we have not yet completed the
nineteenth pile. If | am counting
the grains, may call out nineteen
hundred" as long and as loud as |
please, but that pile will not be com
pleted until drop that grain into it,
even if it takes whole year to do
it. think that ought to be plain.
But DR.. Howison calls in the aid of
history. What he says about
Charles V. of Spain, and Emperor of
the German States, and of the part
he played in the great drama Of the
reformation, is all exactly right, ex.
cept his conclusion. OF course,
Charles gave all this trouble in the
sixteenth century, as the historians
say, because it was about the year
fifteen hundred and thirty. But be-
cause Charles was born in February,
1900, he concludes that be was bern
! in the sixteenth century. The fact