The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1922-04-26
AS Others See 1t
EVOLUTION
by "Commoner


Evolution seems to have taken new life in the
last period OF the eighteenth and first quarter OF
the nineteenth century.
Scientific apologetics to the contrary, evolution
cannot be considered otherwise than agnostc and
hostile to accredited belief 1t has never reached
beyond the dignity OF hypothesis-has never
and in our present state of knowledge cannot
amount to a demonstration.
To disturb public onscience, provoke unbeef
and subvert the ancient faith on, anything less
than a certainty is stupendous blunder The
average and woman, with fair education,
are not capable on merely literary grounds of
deciding for themselves the truth fasity OF
what is termed, the assured facts of science"
Not so assured, even among the elect themselves
to be beyond cavi They have neither time,
inclination ability or material, on which to base
a conclusion. They must trust the judgment of
men who have theory to establish and there
fore not altogether free from bias.
When such scientists as Hack Tyndal, Huxley
and others equally distinguished, assert that GER
tain observed facts" point in direction; and
Herman, Vote, Wundt and Hemholtz declare,
with equal assurance they point in the opposite
direction, we are confronted with the fact OF
diversity at headquarters Some author of pres
tige has said Science is fact, not superstition
a statement of what is absolutely known" I'VE
may therefore suppose" is not in it.
Atheism, Agnosticism and evolution are insep-
arabic adjuncts; and confess to feeling of
disgust at some feeble attempts at harmonizng
Scripture and science-falsely so called.
Scientists, along with common mortals, have
no monopoly on inaccuracy. When called
to decide between the Bible the word of God
or "a wonderful creation of the human intellect
which the finite mind is to interpret and separate
the wheat from the chaff, in common parence,
it is time to go slow.
1t is only reasonable that the church demand
before surrendering verbal inspiration" and rele-
eating to the marvellous achievement OF romance
the record Of creation given in Genesis, that
scientists agree among themselves and furnish
such nC0ntestable proof will convince any
logical mind. Hypothesis must reach the status
of the absolute; must depend on something more
tangible than comparative anatomy y skull
cap here, u thighbone there, two or three mOlar
teeth--anywhere: found ON a small island in the
Pacific, near Il stream of water-this is altogether
in keeping with the scientific fact that
had his beginning in a D. nd From such I'M
friendly environment and scant material, we are
tigers apes-and what nots up to that marvel Of
evolution--man. Just humanity speaking, pres
ent or future glory of man can atone for so
isnoble an origin.
Is the omnipotent omnipresent, almighty
Father under the necessity of working in the
dark to save the feelings of the climax of his
evolutionary process? You may say the case in
question is extreme, and has no scientific endorse
ment Admitted; but it is an evidence of the ac-
commodatng spirit Of the evolutionist when
faced by a stubborn fact that needs an apology.
y scientist Of unquestoned eminence said, con-
corning the origin OF man. Il know nothing about
the origin OF except what am told in the
Scriptures-that God created him. do not know
anything more than that, and | do not know
anybody who does" with man something new
is introduced into the world" There is nothing
in science that reaches the origin of anything al
all" There is no trace of rational and moral
nature in the animal kingdom" Recent discov'
cries in geologic fields says Prof. Price, Great
areas Of rocks in the wrong order have been
found. Socalled older on the top and so-called
younger at the bottom, another assured fact
hanging in the balance.
If the orthodox still claim with Milton:
Adam the goodliest man Of mon since born;
The fairest of her daughters, Eve"
Tie eminent authority already quoted asserts
NO Known scientific facts against this view can
be produced"
Farewell, Mr.. Pithecanthropus Erecus. COM
mend you to Mr.. Wells, and those with whom
he elaborated for a cordial and afectionate
greeting. Without designing to hurt your feelings
/ must chronicle the regret that so fine scholar
so eminent a writer, and distinguished gentle
man as Mr.. Wells should elect to spend his mo-
ments of recreation in your company.