The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-12-14


 forth by Professor Porta of the Univer- sity of Michigan anent the near ap- proach to a conjunction of certain planets of our proprietary celestial system on 17th day of this month. nave brought the minds of the superstitious and credulous? That few celestial balls which we call planets, and which move about our sun in orbits easily determinable by industry and observation, will, on the 17th day of this month. reach positions relatively to each other and to the sun, and this superstitious, credulous earth. is made the basis of speculation and prediction which have brought terror to the hearts and minds of the unbeueving credulous Ga deliberate paradox of which we shall make use) both in Europe and America
 What the other millions of suns and planets concerned which we know noth-
 ing, and which are, gentle reader, even as you read this criticism, in conJunc tion and oppositions, the positions of which if known to such ingenious and facetious gentlemen as Professor Porta- could be capitalized upon occasion to play upon the credulous and supersti7 tious. What little true faith there is in this world after all.
 In the things we can see we have an abiding faith, but in the truth which we cannot see we have little or none. That heavens ethereal bow is a promise to all flesh that the earth will never halo aad htr yat tpr e promise which appeals to the average Christian and Jewish mind and heart. because they have either read it in the scripture or have been told that it is in scripture, and now and then that bright arch spans the heavens, serving to keep that flickering lamp of faith alive; but concerning the acquiescence of God in the prayer of the Jews that He should never again manifest His presence to man in the spirit of awfulness, the very fewest are able to draw look or motion of intelligence. Rather does the condition prevail concerning it which ob- tained among those of Ephesus, who told Paul that they had not so much as heard that there was Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost; and yet the faith in that ao- quiescense which we indulge at sum mer's eve when heavens ethereal bow spans with bright arch the glittering hills below in the promise of the rain bow, would put at rest the sea or troubles which Professor Porta would arouse on the 17th of this month. It IS indeed hard to believe a truth which we cannot see, unless it be that when N~Ii Ii,,or tO a training to which we have been sub jected from childhood. The Seer Isaiah saw, and understood, and appreciated, and in speaking of the prophet who was to come, he endows him with the spirit of wisdom, understanding, counsel power knowledge and righteousness; put he omits the spirit of awfulness, in exact accordance with that acquiescense or God in the prayer of the Jews. Were there as much faith in this world as a. grain of mustard seed, but small attention would be paid to such alarmists as Pro- lessor Porta, and had the relentless war been waged upon superstition and cred ulity Chose blights of the mind Which kill it) which has been waged upon mere foibles, the minds of men would not De predisposed at this time to drink in the terrors which Professor Porta has poured out upon those upon whom God has poured out the spirit of deep sleep, having chosen their delusion to bring their Tears upon them. There are many who are shrewd enough to appreciate the prevail ence of credulity and superstition in the minds and hearts of men; who know anu appreciate that from early youth men have been trained to profess upon their lips most profound belief in that which finds little response in the heart and none in reason, and upon occasion they will leap into notoriety upon the wings of superstititno and credulity with great ease. Not the least interesting feature attending the agitation is that arguments in opposition to Professor Porta are drawn from the same bag or learning and brought to bear upon him; tit never any appeal to that spirit of truth which has the power to dissipate such delusions
 The professor, like Buffers celebrity who bv a geometric scale would take the size of pots of ale, proves by astron- omy that the world is to go to the de.v- milton bow-wows" on December IT, lsls' and out of the same prescription bag an whereon it is written that the world will not on the 17th of this month ga anywhere but where it is now, except in due, course of it's journey round the sun. It is with this sort or stu1r, as with the great mass of other precepts and teachings of men from the peginnns of time. and concerning the merits of xhich we may with Ciceroy: Harum sententiarum quae vera sit, Deus allquid yiderit.' (which of these opinions Is true, let some god decide). They amount to nothing. these scientific individuals have not been anywhere off this earth 10 learn anything; they were not present at the creation; and they have not by them any complete statute book or nature from which they may read, and their speculations which bring terror to the hearts and minds of the credulous are pitiful Some of these scientists are per fectly sincere and wculj not for the world mislead anyone; but such men seldom attempt to play upon the weak ness of their fellows. Let us by way of illustration consider the very pretty con ceit of Charles Darwin that all quails are brown because other colors of the bird have long since been eliminated by birds and beasts of prey, the inconspicuousness of the color of the quail during the sea- sons when, the trees being denuded of their leaves, they are deprived of the protection which the foliage of the trees and the grasses afforded and under which and in which they could escape their enc mics. This is pretty conceit, and Dar- win is of the scientists who would not mislead anyone; but let us consider it for few moments in the light of our every day experiences. and see how much there is in it. We al know that the quail lays a perfectly white egg free from all marks, and that the quail has flat tail and that it is without comb or wattles. Now, the guinea fowl has the same flat tail, but it has comb and wattles, and it lays flecked or speckfed egg; and the same