The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1908-09-28
D0rvi11's UtterdnceS
BY LADY HENRY SOMERSET.

T ONDON, September N.-The opening
speech at the British association
- made by Mr.. Francis Darwin, SOL
of the famous scientist whose writings
caused SO great a revolution In scientific
thought nearly half century ago, was a
weishty and interesting utterance-
weighty because he brings us back over
the very paths beaten out by his father,
not into a wilderness of wonder or deS-
ert of doubt, but back into the paths Of
the poets and the faith of the child.
I'VE must believe" says Mr.. Darwin,
speaking of the consciousness of plants.
that in plants there exists faint copy
of what we know as consciousness in
ourselves"
Here in this sentence lies the root of
the great change that we have seen grow
to the dimensions of great forest tree In
our day. The materialism of the past is
at an end, atheism is dead.
Agnostiolsm may have taken its place.
but it Is the agnosticism of those willing
to learn and ready for revelation which
will be Hospitality received. The attitude
that nothing Is impossible brings US back
again to the aphorism which We have all
learned from our childhood, "all things
are possible to him that believes"
To hear announcements such as Mr..
Darwin's from the chair of the Births n
association Is cheer to us who believe
more than we know, who have to take
on faith the great principles which gov
ern the world, and who learn our science
through the labOrs of others; but when
those pronouneements coincide with the
deep inner consciousness which exists in
us ALL that there Is in each of us unend-
ing progress, unending possibilities, then
we realize that the dawn of a brighter
day is opening.
OF plant consciousness Mr.. Darwin gave
two or three interesting examples. A
sleeping plant, for instance, such as tho
common scarlet runner, lifts Its leaves in
the light of the daytime and hangs them
at night during sleeping hours; but If this
plant Is placed in a dark room after 1T
has gone to sleep at night 1t will be found
next morning in the light posture, SO that
there is within the plant consciousness
which enables it to revive, and 1t is not
the direct effect of light on an uncon-
seious vegetable, "Since this change of
position" he said, lis not due to external
conditions it must be the result Of Intern
al conditions, which habitually accompa-
ny the movement" This is the charac-
teristic par excellence of faith-namely, a
capacity acquired by repetition OF react
ing to fraction of the original environ
ment."
ut must be true again. he says that
plants have at least two of the qualities
and characteristics of animals, namely
extreme constituencies to certain changes,
and the power of transmitting stimuli
from one part to another of the plant
body.
1T is true that there is no central ner-
yous system, nothing but complex sys-
tenn of nuclei, but these have some of
the qualities of nerve cells, while inter-
communicating protoplasmic threads may
play the part of nerves."
The Liberal government has by side
issue begun the solution of the great Free
Trade problem by the Patents act which
came into force last week. The Begin
ming of tariff reform has been enacted
and the manufacture of articles protected
by English patents must be carried on in
Great Britain. This will mean an enor-
nous increase of work to Thousands of
English workmen.
Mr.. Lloyd George, who has been travel
ing In Germany, has evidently returned
with a sense that although tariff reform
as crudely propounded by the Conserya-
tiyes Is a measure which essentially
would only have benefited one class, is
still to be considered under modified con-
ditions for the benefit Of all.
The result Of this action is that some
of the great German and American firms
are opening factories in England, includ-
ing the Safety Razor company. Lever
Brothers Aniline Dys works, the Sanato-