The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-01-16
GEOLOGY AND BIOLOGY CLASH.

III the universe. that IL Is of we'll nigi,
Infinite potency and is the origin or pro-
queer of everything that exists. including
al material and mental forces, has so
rany weak points that it only needs TO
De looked at seriously to lead one TO mar
vel that any sane man ever could have
become its defender. And, as matter
OIL TACT of late years there has been but
one really noted scientist, Dr. Ernst
Heinrich Haeckel, who has refused to
give up this atheistic or naturalistic ex-
pianation of the universe In one of his
recent publications he bitterly complain
ed that his former students and follow
ers mad left him to be the sole defender
OF pure naturaiism.
On the other hand, atheistic or partial
evolution is not in an equally forlorn con-
dition. for il is advocated by perhaps the
majority of scientists. by many philoso-
pliers, and, with no essential modification
is also held by not few of our more
scholarly theologians. Theistic evolu-
uo1s are. however divided into two gen.
eral classes. The first class holds that
a supernatural being stands at the head
OF universal affairs, that he created q
few original germs, or changed a small
amount of non-living substances into liv-
Ing germs and then stepped aside. leaving
those feeble beginnings of life TO develop
through processes of natural selection,
or by the survival of the fittest, OF in
some other way irto higher forms. in
Guiding man with his marvellous endow-
ments OF thought, will and conscience.
The second class OF theistic evolution
lists does not quite so completely Danish
God from all active participation in the
AFFAIRS of the universe. but still they con-
tend that the lower orders. without any
Independent creation, have developed in
tC the higher ones.
The weak points of theistic evolution
III its different forms to which attention
is called in this article are as follows:
If existing vegetable and animal organ
isms have been evolved from lower ones.
or from such forms as are found in the
earliest fossil rocks. which is the theory
of evolutionists. then there could be re-
CURED. according to the estimates of BIZ
ologists, numberless billions of ages Of
such slow progressive development to
reach existing organisms. The develop
ment of human ear or eye, say nothing
about a mind and conscience from the
lowest forms of organized life. demands
according to biology, duratonS that are
ir conceivable, especially If one considers
the insignificant amount of changes that
has taken place in any grouping of plants
OF animals during both the historic and
geological periods. But the trouble is that
biologists can allow biologists no such in
calculable eras for the. development of
the higher types of organized life. The
periods between the beginnings of life
and the appearance OF man on earth are
not inconceivable nor inculculable. The
latest estimates allow of not more than
3o.0eo,000 years for organized life on the
earth. a period that is at once fatal to
organic evolution.
But biologists are still more relentless.
or they affirm that no human remains
are found earlier than the ice age, and
that age terminated not more than 1900
years ago; and in some parts of our
great masses of glacial ice did not
disappear until once the human period
Logan. Biologists are also Obliged to con-
fess that all the numberless links re-
quired to connect man to any form of an
entirely wanting.
In view of these facts of geology 1t ap-
pears that theistic evolution has a pro-
questionable scientific founda-
ton on which to build it's superstruct-
ure.
If higher vegetable and animal organ
isms have been evolved from lower ones,
then there ought to be evidence that all,
OF nearly all, the different species that
survive have improved in the course of
years. and that one or more clearly mark
" oPOSito arc LOW Actually
into others of a higher standard. But,
as matter of fact, the evolutionist can
point to nothing of the kind. There are
some organisms that have continued even
from the earliest times to the present
without the slightest Improvement. The
"algae" that are found in the silurian de-
post are as perfect as those found in
our modern seas. Some of the oldest
land plants. too, are really better de-
al hor 1; ot,
they belong. The oak. birch. hazel and
Scotch fir are easily traced back to the
ice age, but III all this time there has
been in them no essential change and
no improvement. The insect
that built the Florida coral reef, though
at work for thousands upon thousands of
years, has met with no change during its
entire career. Pictures of birds and
beasts found in Egyptian tombs and Ro-
man catacombs are identical with exist
ing species.
means have succeeded in securing certain
n publications. of a given species, but the
pigeon that has been much experimental
With has not been changed into anything
hat is not a pigeon-it never has become
l chicken, crow, magpie, woodcock or any
hitherto unknown winged creature. And
he fact should also be noted that when
dHCE plSetlS are turned INTO q OF
nature they soon revert to the rock pig
ION species, which is their ancestor.
Says Professor Huxley: After much
consideration. and with assuredly no bias
igainst Mr.. Darwins views. it is my clear
that, as the evidence now
stands. it is not proved that a group
# animals having all the characteristics
Exhibited by species in nature ever has
'een originated by selection, whether ar
fetal or natural
And We may go a step further. for in
tead of development and improvement. !
Iuite the opposite frequently has taken
lace. We are sure that no well-informed
will dispute the statement
hat the elimination of types, followed
" degeneration and extinction, is as
ruch a recognized law in nature as any
ther in her mode. Or. in the words Of
Professor +. D. Cope. who. by the way.
: an eminent and thorOugh-going evolu- {
icnist. -the refrigeration in nature is as
ven or nearly as well established as evo- I
ution." All OF which greatly adds 10 4
he perplexity of the evolutioniEt.
II existing organisms are devoted from
few feeble beginnings. then there ought
o be some evidence even in historic
lines that different species have in
reased in number. but quite the opposite
, the fact No botanist can show that
here has been a solitary new species OF
ora since the ice age. though many have
There lived during the Pale
zoic age so species OF trilobites. a little
alter. speaking geoiogicaliy. they ali dis
ppeared. Nine hundred species Of the
mmonite fiourished at different periods
uring the MesoZoic era. bet all now are
xtinct. At different periods Of the
arths history there have been 40 or
sore species OF the nautilus. now there
re only three. and these peculiar to the
resent tine Seven hundred species Of
ossilized ganoids have been found: the
ribe now has scarcely a living repTeseu-
alive and the cepha,opods and eoniat-
- have suffered constant 5sninution