Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-07-21
SHAMEFUL AS WELL AS
LUDlCROUS

! SHAMEFUL As WE'LL 40
LUDIcRoUS
The famous Cor infamous, accord
ing as Is ones viewpoint) law passed
by the Tennessee Legislature forbids
the teaching in the public schools
that man has descended from
lower order Of animals" In the case
arising from this law. the indicted
teacher, Scopes, does not deny
he taught that, and there are wit
nesses to testify that he did so teach.
This being the situation the at
tempt to show that evolution does not
conflict with "the story of the Divine
creation as taught in the Bible"
would seem to be superfluous, that is,
superfluous for this court. AS
Stunning the law having undoubted-
ly been violated. It is for the higher
courts to determine whether that law
is contrary to the Constitution of the
State OF Tennessee or the Constitu-
ton Of the United States.
Such a procedure would seem to
satisfy the ends Of justice, but it ap-
pears the satisfaction Of other pur-
poses than the ends Of justice have
been under consideration. Such a
simple procedure could not satisfy
the ice cream concesAonaires. could
not satisfy the sensation mongers,
Bryan or barrow, or contribute free
advertising, which otherwise they
might not secure. The one broadcasts
the idea that this is "duel to the
death" between science and the Bible
as he interprets it, and the other,
barrow, asks the court to leave it to
twelve Jurymen, eleven Of whom can
read, to decide whether evolution dis
agrees with the Biblical story of
mans creation.
The judge, who must determine re-
specting the admissibility of evidence
on the construction Of the law. nat
urally wishes the public to think that
he does SO only after patient and
thorough consideration of the evil
dence offered. So strong is this desire
with Judge. especially one who
must Look to popular vote for re-
election, that desire fortifies patience,
and so we see him overlooking the
insolence of Darrow, who evidently
seeks the notoriety of being adjudged
guilty Of contempt of court. Instead
OF ordering his withdrawal from the
court room, as the insolence would
seem to merit, instead Of holding
Bryan and the other wind TANNERS
to what is germane to the case, the
judge permits them to ramble all
over the lot. He permits photo
graphers to exploit the court room in
the interests of publicity, he permits
loud speakers to broadcast the ad-
dresses to the judge. which theoreti-
cally are not to be made known to
the jury except with the consent of
the judge.
One is reminded Of this from Mac.
chiaveln: For as laws are neces-
sary that good manners may be pre-
served. SO there is need of good man
ners that law may be maintained"
And there was Jeremy Taylor who
advised: "A man must not go law
because the musician keeps false time
with his foot, Jeremy Taylor had
not been vouchsafed the enlighten-
ment afforded by P. T. Barnum, Will
liam Jennings Bryan, Clarence OAR
how. ct ais. Poor Jeremy!
But this performance at Dayton is
not altogether a joke, ludicrous as
it Is. One may easily infer that some
OF the participants design it to fan
the flames Of intolerance and bigotry;
that some design it for opportunity to
ridicule that which seems to be the
nature OF men to regard as in some
degree at least sacred; that some
think OF it as glorious opportu-
nifty in which to exploit vanity and
love Of the limelight, not unmindful
of the money that will accrue to them
from such exploits.
That good will not accrue from it
as well as bad would be assuming,
too much. Some may be induced to
study the Bible and to learn what
science really has achieved and to
think upon it. We fear the number Of
such will be terribly small as COM
pared with those who will find in this
exploiting that with which to feed
their prejudices one way or another,
and in that way man instead of COM
ing to enlightenment come to
trouble tor himself and for all those
with whom he associates. There will
be many. we think, who will regard
1t shameful that Bryan is to be per-
mitted to pose as the Saviour Of
Christianity, or barrow as the arch
hgnostic to go about playing upon
the emotions of mankind for what
there Is in it."
Sam Kimball Of the San Fernan-
dino Valley has ordered a $1,000 radio
set for his coffin He ,lou,s &c bo,r