Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1909-07-30
Bryan's Reference to Evolution.

to the New Era says: "The Elma New
cism of Mr.. Bryan's speech at the
Cresco chautauqua. Bro. Howard pre-
sumes that we had Mr.. Bryan's dis
cussion of the Darwinian theory in
mind when we referred to the eight
ness with which he disposed of some of
the questions which have challenged
the best thought of the world;' and
he was correct in his surmise. The
Times accepts the New Era's version
OF what Mr.. Bryan said and stands on
its previous statement-that he is
superficial in his treatment of the sub
Ject. We submit to any student of the
theory of evolution that Mr.. Bryan's
remarks are not those of one who has
gone deeply into the subject. Evolu-
ton is universally accepted by the
scientific world today, and if Mr..
Bryan's views on the subject have
never been criticised, we are inclined
to think it is because he is not taken
seriously by scientific men.
Since the Times has seen fit to criti-
else Mr.. Bryan we presume it does
take him seriously. Well, we are glad
of that. We are also glad that the
Times dissatisfaction with Mr.. Bryan's
lecture rests on nothing more serious
than criticism of his views on evolu-
ton. We rest easier. His views on
evolution agree with ours. Therefore
he is not superficial" We have as
much right to assume that as the
Times has to declare that he is super
fetal simply because he does not hold
to the same theory that the editor of
the Times finds comfort in. The Times
quotes our paraphrasing of one or two
of Mr.. Bryan's sentences and submits
that "Mr. Bryan's remarks are not
those of one who has gone deeply into
the subject" At first we were not
sure of the nature of the Times criti-
cism and acting on the presumption
that it had to do with his views on
evolution we made brief reference to
his argument. Now we append the
full text of his words on this point.
Bryan led up to this subject by saying:
MAN is religious being. The heart
instinctively seeks for God. Whether
he worships on the banks of the Gan
ges, prays with his face upturned to
the sun, kneels toward Mecca, or, re-
garding all space as temple, COM
munes with the Heavenly Father. ac-
cording to the Christian Greed, man is
essentially devout.
There are honest doubters whose sim
certify we recognize and respect, but
occasionally l find young men who
think it is smart to be skeptical they
talk as if it were an evidence of larger
intelligence to scott at creeds and re-
fuse to connect themselves with
churches. They call themselves Glib
eral," as if Christian were narrow
minded. To these young men | desire
to address myself.
Even some older people profess to
donable in the ignorant but unworthy
of the educated-a mental state which
one can and should out grow. Those
who hold this view look down with
mild contempt upon such as give to re-
ligion definite place in their thoughts
and lives. They assume an intellectual
superiority and often take little pains
to conceal the assumption Tolstoy
administers to the cultured crowd"
| severe rebuke when he declares that
the religious sentiment rests not upon
superstitious fear of the invisible
forces of nature, but upon mans con-
seriousness of his finiteness amid an in
finite universe and of his sinfulness;
and this consciousness, the great phi
losopher adds, man can never out grow.
| There are difficulties to be encount-
cred in religion, but there are difficult
ties to be encountered everywhere. L
passed through period of skepticism
when was in college and have been
glad ever since that became a men,
Der of the church before l left home
for college, for it helped me during
those trying days. The college DAYS
cover the dangerous period in the young
mans life; it is when he is just coming
into possession of his powers-when he
feels stronger than he ever feels after
ward and thinks that he knows more
than he ever does know.
| 1t was at this period that / was con-
fused by the different theories of crea-
ton. But | examined those theories
and found that they all assumed some
thing to begin with. The nebular hy-
pothesis, for instance, assumes that
matter and force existed-matter with
particles infinitely fine and each part
icle separated from every other particle
by space infinitely great. Beginning
with this assumption. force working
on understanding to this hypothe-
sis creates universe. Well, have
right to assume, and l prefer to as
sumo Designer back of the design
Creator back of creation; and no
matter how long you draw out the pro-
n IN I'D 81
back of it, you cannot shake my faith
in Jehovah. In Genesis it is written
that, in the beginning, God created the
heavens and the earth, and stand on
that proposition until find some theo-
ry of creation that goes farther back
than "the beginning"
| do not carry the doctrine of evolu-
ton as far as some do; have not vet
been able to convince myself that man
is lineal descendant of the lower ami
mails. do not mean to find fault with
with you if you want to accept it; all |
mean to say is that while you may
trace your ancestry back to the mon
key if you find pleasure or pride in do
ing SO, you shall not connect me with
your family tree without more evidence
than has yet been produced. 1t is true
that man, in some physical qualities,
resembles the beast, but man has
mind as we'll as body and soul as
well as a mind. The mind is greater
than the body and soul is greater than
the mind, and object to having mans
pedigree traced on one-third of him
only-and that on the lowest third.
Fairbairn lays down a sound proposit-
ion when he says that it Is not suf-
ficent to explain man as an animal; it
se,,, 10 LIZ