The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1901-08-20
PLANTS AND ANIMALS
AN ARGUMENT IN FAVOR OF A BE-
LIEF IN THEIR IMMORTALITY.

The Consciousness Displayed BY
Plant Life and the Intelligence and
Powers of Reason shown by the
Lower Order of Animals.
DR.. Thomas G. Gentry in his book.
Intelligence In Plants and Animals"
published by Doubleday, Page & Co.,
leaves no reason for doubt as to his posi-
ton in the controversy over the immor-
tally Of animals. He says frankly:
claim not for the lower animals the slightest
squality with man. What claim for them is
higher status in creation than is generally at
tributed to them. / claim for them a future life
where they will receive just compensation for
the sufferings which many Of them have to un-
dergo in this world. Most Of the crueities which
are perpetrated upon animals are due to the habit
which man has, in his exalted opinion Of self. OF
considering them as mere automata, without sus-
ceptfbilities without reason and without the ca
pacity Of future -. Not alone are we OF the
upper walks of being made the possessors OF the
inner Hfe but all nature shares 1t In common
with U.S. and love is its expression and the method
of its action
What are the characteristics Of man
which justify, which indeed compel. be-
lief in his Immortality? First, his mind,
intelligence, spirit-call 1t what you Will.
But does man alone possess this precious,
this indestructible, spirit? The author
alphabetically rejects the theory. He as
serts that the proofs Of the spirit are to
be seen in intelligence and In the affec-
tons, that animals possess both and that
even plants show signs of the former.
49,, 81 <ho orknoae of the Garth the
slender radicles of plants make their
way. A stone impedes their progress;
they turn to right or left before touching
It. follow its outline round In an almost
parallel course, but never touching. If
worm burrow or some chink In the
ground a few inches away offers path
which need not be forced, the radicle
turns abruptly and seeks it out. How
does this rootlet at once sense and avoid
the stone? How conjecture the neigh
boring but invisible crevice2
There are flesh eating plants, the dro-
sera or sundews. DIR. Gentry says Of
them: "That these plants manifest a
comparatively high order of consciousness
there can be no question. Try them with
insects or rare bits Of meat as articles
of diet and in few hours the leaves VIII
have folded around the food and COM
menced their curious process Of assimila-
tion. Mineral substances, such as bits OF
chalk. maQnesia and small pebbles, have
no such effect. They seem TO ignore these
thines lust as an intelligent animal would
IL they were placed By Its side:"
Certain minute plants have the power
NJ locomotion. They will abandon an arid
snot and Green toward moisture. II
noisonous fluid be placed In their path,
thew will avoid It; IL a nourishing sub
stance be placed at one side, they will
wander toward It. Other plants change
the position of their branches or leaves 70
meet or to avoid the SUM- Consciousness.
then. clearly appears In plant life. cit ID
to plants" SAYS the author, what mind
ia to man and animals, controlling their
actions when such are for their well being
and good. II mind persists In future
state. then consciousness, which may be
considered as mind In plants, must also
persist. for it Is not likely that the source
of all consciousness, which we worship
as God. could be unmindful Of the least
of his children"
And animals2 Among them we do not
have to seek Enthusiastically for evidences
of consciousness. All have that, all have
intelligence In greater or less degree,
many have reasoning power, some have
the Qualities which we are accustomed to
regard as purely characterization unself-
ishness. generosity, magnanimity. Memory
IL A quality so general in animals that It
Ia needless to recount here instances.
Generosity is often shown by birds which
feed the offspring Of others that have
been slain, The author cites several cases
where the dedQelinRs and their sponsors
were Of different varieties. Magnanimity.
Who hasn't seen a big dog gently set
aside a snarling terrier which he might
annihilate with a grip of the jaw IL he
would? Sometimes 1t is shown by brutss
to less Mountainous men.
So, too, Of the less admirable qualities
of Municipalities which nevertheless pre-
suppose possession of a mind. The ami
mails have most of them. Malice, pride,
jealousy, anger, revenge, have all their ex-
qualifications in the life Of dumb brutes.
II they have souls to be saved, perchance
they have sins to be expiated as well.
How closely the higher orders of anil
mails approach IN intelligence the lower
orders OF men Is clearly SHOWN IN tmS
book. For q time the exigencieS OF the
olopv compelled us to regard this gulf
az ;n6nito hut one who contrasts the
xx,o,,, 80 tho b;ob hrod xpoIl trained houso
- - a. 100
Jug Will enoss u son,e "a -"
Drutallzed aDorigines VIII 0oupt Wnetner
the abyss which separates them Is 80
very wide. Animals have some Idea OF
Numbers saTho crow has been known to
count as FAR as tho number sly and a
49, 7 o,ca nod Lnow 90 wou es did
1Je g.. :, Tt-
"nvn oaluluaJ eo,ne
performances.
s'The sense Of beauty" continues the
author. (which has been declared pc
cujiar tn mon ia innate in birds. Certain
h-;r,h& ooIors, ,,d oorto;,, sornds x,,bo,, q,
SIAene NoAoA0 ~ 49, ,o
1arnouy eASise AZ 'nenA pieasuie 90 ny
90 IN man. II we are 10 Judge from
the hideous ornaments and the equally
hideous music admired by most savages,
II might be urged that their aesthetic
faculty was less highly developed than 1t