178 



SCIENCE 



[Vol. LV, No. 1416 



Mr. Rodebush was formerly national research 

 fellow at the University of California. Dr. 

 Lansing S. Wells, until recently research 

 chemist with The Barrett Company, Frank- 

 ford, PhOadelphia, Pa., has accepted an ap- 

 pointment as assistant professor of organic and 

 physical chemistry, Montana State Collie, 

 Bozeman, Mont. Mr. Raymond L. Stehle re- 

 cently resigned as assistant professor of 

 physiological chemistry in the School of Medi- 

 cine of the University of Pennsylvania to be- 

 come associated with the faculty of medicine 

 of McGiU University, Montreal, as assistant 

 professor of phannacology. 



D. W. Blakeslee has been granted leave of 

 absence for the school year from his position 

 of electrical engineer with the Jones & Laugh- 

 lin Steel Co., at Pittsburgh, and is teaching in 

 the Electrical Department of Tale University. 



Mr. J. Griffith has been appointed head of 

 the department of agricultural chemistry at the 

 University College of North Wales, Bangor. 



Dr. Alfred C. Haddon, of Christ's Col- 

 lege, Univei-sity of Cambridge, has been ap- 

 pointed acting curator of the Museum of Arch- 

 eology and Ethnology. 



DISCUSSION AND CORRESPOND- 

 ENCE 

 KENTUCKY AND THE THEORY OF 

 EVOLUTION 



Tour inquiry concerning proposed legisla- 

 tion against the teaching of evolution in the 

 state university and public schools of the state 

 has been received. In reply I will state that 

 two such bills have been introduced in the 

 house, and one was introduced in the senate. 

 The senate bill was reported unfavorably by 

 the senate committee to which it was referred. 

 The same committee also reported unfavorably 

 a milder substitute forbidding the teaching of 

 anything in these public institutions "inimical 

 to religion," but the senate by a vote of 23 to 

 12 turned down this latter recommendation of 

 the committee and placed the substitute on the 

 calendar. 



The house bill which has passed the com- 



mittee and been placed on the calendar is much 

 more drastic than either of the bills introduced 

 in the senate. It provides for a fine of "not 

 less than fifty nor more than five thousand 

 dollars, or confinement in the county jail not 

 less than ten days nor more than twelve 

 months" for any "teacher, principal, superin- 

 tendent, president or other person connected 

 directly or indirectly with such schools or 

 institutions, who shall knowingly teach or per- 

 mit to be taught Darwinism, Atheism, Agnosti- 

 cism, or the Theory of Evolution in so far as 

 it pertains to the origin of man." 



This proposed legislation is the culmination 

 of an active propaganda against evolution 

 which has been carried on in the state for over 

 a year by a number of the ministers of several 

 of the Protestant denominations. The leader 

 of these is Dr. J. W- Porter, pastor of one of 

 the Baptist churches in Lexington, and judging 

 from the expressions in the Baptist press, he 

 has the backing of a large element in his de- 

 nomination. He it was who received a letter 

 of encouragement from William Jennings 

 Bryan which he promulgated from the pulpit. 

 From this letter we quote the following: 



The movement will sweep the country and we 

 will drive Darwinism from our schools. The 

 enemy is already fighting. The agnostics who are 

 undermining the faith of our students will be 

 glad enough to teach anything the people want 

 taught when the people speak with emphasis. 



On Friday, January 20, Bryan was brought 

 to Kentucky, where he made a number of ad- 

 dresses against evolution. The one at Frank- 

 fort was before a joint session of both houses 

 of the legislature. In this he advocated legis- 

 lation against the teaching of Darwinism and 

 kindred "isms." At the close of his address 

 in Lexington a resolution was presented by 

 Rev. W. L. Brock, another Baptist minister of 

 Lexington, and ruled from the platform to 

 have been passed, in which the general assem- 

 bly was petitioned to prohibit "the teaching in 

 the state schools of evolution, destructive criti- 

 cism and every form of atheism and infidelity 

 whatsoever." 



In their spoken and written attacks on evo- 

 lution these advocates of suppressive measures 

 quote largely from two publications issued by 



