New-York tribune., 1908-03-23
itself unequal in power to the sword of JUS
CAN MONKEYS REASON7

Aftef a long silence which some say has been
involuntary the industrious correspondents who
lurk about the laboratories of the University OIL
Chicago are again bursting into song over Tue
marvellous achievements OF ILLINOIS scientists'
The Introductory pecan extols zoologist who is
reported to have proved at last that simians
are gifted with reason. Leading hermit life
ION small remote island in the Gulf OF Mex
leo in the company of two chatterinS pets,
the indefatigable student has succeeded, we are
told in observing smian acts which cannot pos-
sibly be explained except by the assumption VI
reasoning powers. The decisive case was one III
which the larger of two monkeys, having Deen
hurt by falling stone while scrampilhg lor
banana, hit upon the idea OF making MS shaii
companion fetch his meals, thereby escaping al
personal risk This. the professor is quoted as
saving cannot possibly be explained on the
prevalent theory that monkeys are only skilui
imitators There must have been some original
thinking going on in the big monkeys braln
This sounds. plausible. But the professors
argument collapses as soon as we learn tnat MS
two pets had previously lived with MIN IN Cni-
capo for three years In total disregard OF the
fundamental laws of psychology, the scleh'ist
fails to reckon with the influences whicn mCsI
have been at work during that period OF city
life He is blind to the subtle power OF eAani-
pie. which does not always manifest itself In
visible results until it has been exerted long
time We find nothing in the big monkey s trlch
which cannot be easily accounted Tor Dy simlah
imtativeness. How often must the QUICK Witteu
animal have seen the we'll known trick OF tine
monkey and the cats paw played in d hundred
variations by the higher, white skinned anthro-
noids on the shores of Lake Mchigan over
and over again he has seen grating politicians
force broken down, weak minded Migrants to
pick their political plums for them by stufhnS
the ballot box and incurrng all the rlskS OF Jaii
He has witnessed unscruruOus tinanclers lootlnS
treasures in safety thanks to the little monkeys
on bookkeepers stools who falsified entries and
thereby relieved their stronger brethren OF the
more serious dangers. lie has watched police
officials pull profits out of criminals by ordering
patrolmen to leave the latter unnlOleSted; ana,
when somebody has got wind of the kndvery, our
observer has seen those same high offlclais
duck responsibility and get their subordlnates
dsra ted for gross neglect of duty. His sure eye
has seen greedy employers compel working peo-
pie to toll in dangerous proximity to whlrllnS
wheels and racing belts around which no rall-
ings have been built, and he has seen these
EMPLOYERS scurry into the secure labyrlntns OF
the law in order to escape damages ana WORSE
penalties for injuries which their workers nave
suffered in earning wealth for them.
How many more variations of the GOOD Old
game he has seen in Chicago and other American
towns probably the monkey himself does not
know But he has certainly seen enough 10 nave
acquired his deft little trick by pure suggestion