Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-07-31
AVE we not had enough of
twentieth century talk and
twentieth century things? It

L twentieth century things' 1t
seems so.
We have twentieth century BOOKS
twentieth century inventions, TWEEN
tieth century science. twentieth centu-
nv men and women. and some people
seem TO want a twentieth century
God-an ''up-to-date" deity. The TWEEN
tieth century New Testament Is IN
fact advertised.
Now in all this there are several eie-
rnents not over-creditable to the intel-
ugence of ,present-day takers.
There is, for one thing, thinly dis
guised egotism in all of it. Many men
seem to say: THE planet earth never
had any inhabitants worth speaking
of till we arrived"
"There were great men before Aga
memnon," and there were very great
men before our generation. OF the
ages past we may as we'll admit there
were giants in those days"
II is a mark Of rawnesS to hold cheap
all former generations and their
achievements. A truly great soul never
lightly esteems the mighty spirits VINO
have been before It's time. 1t is only
the pert and puerile who pour con-
tempt on ancestors. Their ignorance
gives them an exaggerated conception
of present-day things, and makes them
incapable Of viewing events In true
perspective
ITnderlying this morbid consciousness
of the century there is sort of SUI
perstition that might be appropriate
ly named calendaritis. Some have
talked of the century, as If at par
ticular moment--say at the midnight OF
December 81, 1900, all movements pre-
viously going on stood still, and new
order of things began. The truth Is
great events seem to fall out without
much regard to the calendar. In the
plans Of Providence, Christmas, New
Yeas days, opening centuries and the
like, seem to be pretty much as oth-
er days. The sun rose on the first day
of January, 1901, without any special
furry. That ancient orb is rather used
to centuries and the coming of new
one does not excite him as it does the
impressible children of a day.
It is quite true that our times have
brought many great and valuable
things. In the realm of science as APP
piled to contrivances for enhancing
human comfort and increasing human
wealth much was achieved during the
nineteenth century, and with the re-
gard to the same class of things the
twentieth century has made a very
fair beginning The applications OF
steam and electricity have wrought
industrial revolutions. So also science
as applied to the art of medication has
done much TO alleviate human pain,
heal disease, and protect human life.
Biology with it's miscrocope has en-
abled men to see forms of life not
visible to former generations, and
to classify, previously known forms or
e xvtfh Moor DISCRIMINATION
In all these directions the area Of
knowledge has been extended and the
achievements Of men have been con-
siderable. The work of former gener-
atoms prepared the way for the ac-
complishment Of great results in these
fields. But our own generation has
become so intoxicated with pride on
account OF these results that many
imagine that we have solved all prob
lens and that we now understand all
mysteries. Science has become almost
a fetch with some. To say OF a ques-
ton that "the scientists tell US this
or that is so" is with a certain class
of minds, to end all discussion. 1t is
the fashion to believe the scientists
have settled everything, and weak peo-
pie fear nothing so much as being
out of the fashion.
Now, while allowing most generous
~ for all that modern science has
really achieved in the directions in
dieated in the foregoing paragraphs,
II remains true that neither nineteenth
century science nor twentieth century
science knows no more about some
other matters than did the ancient
astrologers and alchemists.
Here for example is the matter Of
life as to its essence and origin. What
rn4o l.,
matter? Not whit more than did
Lucretius or Democritus. The assump-
ton that we know any more than the
ancients at this point is a piece Of
gross ignorance and pretentious ego
tism.
The men Of our time who have treat
ed Of the subject have invented some
phrases to describe the problem and
these facile phrases are Of graceful
form and easy utterance; but when
examined they mean absolutely moth
ing. Some years ago Mr.. John Tyndall,
for example, announced that he had
found in matter 1.-The promise and po-
tency of every form and quality of
life" and forthwith a sycophantic null
titude Of amateurs in physics sent up
vociferous acclamations over what
they foolishly imagined Mr.. Tyndall
had found. The truth is he had found
nothing; he had only formed a phrase.
Matthew Arnold's moonshine about
Sweetness and light" is just as SUBJ
stantial discovery as that which Mr..
Tyndall claimed he had found. He
knows no more about matter than any
of the rest Of us, and he knows no
moro about life as to it's origin than
does a rag picker on the street. The
highest approach that science has
made to a demonstration on this sub
ject is the conclusion that there is no
such thing as spontaneous generation,
and that proposition does not lead in
the direction of Mr.. IyndalFs alleged
discovery to the effect that ne had
found in matter 'the promise and po-
teney of every form and quality Of
life"
Indeed Mr.. Tyndan at one time