The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-12-13
that Is least worthy Of culture and gem
cril development. ~
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ctil development i5 NJ.
MIR. SpEN GERS PosiT1o IN. s1
4 MI. spencer's luminous and epoch-
making statement Of the great doctrine
Of evolution has colored all .otir thoaght1
ana influenced iii otir notions OF the
world No one cat, pretend nowadays TO-
mediate ION Man, OH Nature, and on
Human rfe," without preliminary
knowledge Of Mr.. spencer's attempt ITO
interpret the detailed phenomena OF Life,
and Mind, and Society In terms OF Mat
tor Morton aneY Forcu.'' The peculiar
advance made by Mr.. Spencer upon all
philosophers who havo tried before him
to establish the Jews Of general evoln--
ton Is that he has succeeded IN baslnE
his fabric upon the great modern dis.
covery Of the Conservation OF Energy.
the foundation and cornerstone OF al
thut knowledge OF physical science which
has led to our tremendously Increased
the last half century. Former systems.
though sometimes very Ingenious and
complete In themselves, had no connec-
tion With the actual facts Of science:
their foundation was on the sand OF
metaphysics. and they fell. The syn.
! thetic Philosophy Is based on the truths
Of physics. and It Is likely to stand for
generations Twill doubtless Improve and
beautify the external ornatncntatlon and
tho interior Accommodation OF this I'm.
posing fabric.
There is no longer any need to fight
the battle OF evolution. We have nll
agreed to accept the great doctpine which
has been Urged from SO many different
ssuaslori. Tho old Idea that II necessarl.
" Involved % conflict with accepted re-
|.lig;ous notions has been abandoned and
ut is seen that the great question as to
tile, origin OF life, which might furnish d
l.ficld for contest between $sclcncc and re-
l'llgion, Is not attacked, but only put fur
@ther back blythe evoutionst. Given
life and matter in their simplest forms, the
cvolutionist will undertake to show how
they may have developed into the world
In which we live to-day. But he has
no pretcnslon whatever TO suggest any
method which may have called either
life or matter or energy into being. Two
OF these three entities we know, SO far
as our tests can take us, to BIO indie
structlble; the third may be so; none of
the three can be originated by any means
that the world has yet discovered: the
most that we can do lis Ito modify or
transmit them BY means subject to ma
tural law. It was Mr.. Spencer who first
showed how science and religion were to
be reconclled by this frank recognition
| that they dealt with distinct and uninter-
sectng regions.
III Il SOCIAL SIDE.
In his social life MIR Spencer was VI
vac lous and agreeable. Ills converse
ton was racy, pointed and vigorous, and
his whole nature was thatiof a man who
was brim full OF humor and very much
at home among the actualities Of life.
AS long as his health permitted Mr..
Spencer went to- the Athenaeum Club
for game Of billiards. which he very
much enjoyed. On one occasion. how
ever, he found at the club his master In
very young man. who beat him thor
oughly When defeat was no longer to
be disguised, Mr.. Spencer iieant upon his
cue and delivered himself jas follows:
"a certain proficiency In. this game Is
possibly a desirable accomplishment. but
| the extraordinary ability, sir,&you have
just displayed can only be the fruits Of q
| 3rnlsspcnt youth.n II.