Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1902-04-24
TURN ON THE LIGHT.

lnaU was q very cfuGl CllIS III
Professor Ranke, a leading Bavarian
scientist, for intimating right in the
presence of Prince George of Bavaria
that the human race, including His
Royal Highness, is only a cultivated
branch of the ape family. No man
wants to be told that his ancestors
were oysters or balloons or asses,
however many individuals with the
decided propensities of the latter
species we may brush elbows with in
the ordinary wear and tear of bust
ness. 1t seems that Prince George
objected to being entered up in the
blue book as a descendant of the ape
family. 1t looked too much like
.'Monkeying'' with his royal line
age, II he publicly reprimanQed
the venerable professor. The latter
is quoted as saying that "man's des-
cent from the ape cannot be argued
out of existence by the attempt of
army officers and women who
squeeze in their waists by the use of
c~orsets."
Now, coming down to the plain,
unvarnished truth of the matter,
many a critical personmight use this
practice of personal adOrnment as an
affirmative rather than a negative
argument for the theory, for it is
we'll known hat many young men
who pinch their figures with cOrsets
and fri their hair have been known
to create the impression that they
are closely akin to both the ass and
the monkey. But be that as it may,
Prince George seems to have drawn
a distinct line Of demarcatiOn be-
tween the royalty by holding to the
view that 'no matter where the PEG
pie came from, the royal family OF
Bavaria could not possibly be des-
cended &om an unTeas0ning animal,
seeing that the Wittelbachers were
placed on earth by Providence tC
rule"
Think Of this! That a man should
allow his royal blood to take an ope1
stand against the cold, hard facts O
scientific research, especially wheI
it is widely conceded that even roy
atty often is easily transformed int
unreasonable animals. Take Nero
for instance. Was there ever a more
vivid and monumental example o
the genus ass than he? The fact i
Kings, and Emperors, and Shahs
and Khedives, and Sultans, anC
folks like that often forget that the,
are just ordinary human beings n
less liable to smallpox, cramp coli
and bankruptcy than the people. No
that we are arguing in support ofth'
Darwinian theory, the Herber
Spencer system and the rest of tina
school of evolution. But the fact re
mains that if science can prove b,
clearly established facts and unde-
niable historical discoveries that GU,
ancestors had foul legs, chewed thei
cud, or logged shells around on thei
backs, we can't get around it, humi
Hating as it may be. For our part
we are not disposed to admit that tn
family tree of the Anglo-Saxon cal
be traced back to the duplicate Of tn
plain American ass. But we believ
in accepting facts as we find them
The truth often hurts, but if a theor.
can be developed into fact so mucl
the better for the power of scientifi
research. Our sympathy is natu1
ally with the man who is trying t
ascertain the facts in the case, tn
royai feelings to the contrary not
withstanding. 1t would be decided
ly disappointing to most ofus to hav
to admit that we are only the highe
circles of the old original baboo
stock. IF it be true, however, on
humiliation can be none the less ger
uine by commanding the scientis
who establishes the fact as such t
make no note Of the discovery, bu
simply brush over it az though
were neve brought to light. TIL
investigation into family genealog
/ would probably develop facts nc
agreeable to all of us if carried f.