Pebeuakt 17, 1922] 



SCIENCE 



1T9 



the Bible Institute Colportage Association, Chi- 

 cago, Illinois. One of these is a booklet of 144 

 pages by Alex. Patterson entitled "The Other 

 Side of Evolution" and the other is a pam- 

 phlet of 24 pages by W. A. Griffith Thomas 

 entitled "What About Evolution?" In these 

 publications the attempt is made to refute evo- 

 lution mainly by the citation of authority. 

 With respect to well known advocates of evo- 

 lution, such as Tyndall, Haeckel, Huxley, 

 Spencer, and even Darwin himself, conunenda- 

 bly cautious statements, particularly with ref- 

 erence to the causes of evolution, are twisted 

 and construed into "fatal admissions" affecting 

 their belief in the fact of evolution. 



For expressions of positive opposition to the 

 theory, recourse is had mainly to men of sci- 

 ence long since dead, such as Murchison, 

 Sedgweik, Agassiz, Dawson, Etheridge, Vir- 

 ohow and Dana. 



Much reliance is placed upon the views of 

 the late George Frederick Wright, who wrote 

 a preface to the booklet in 1903. The latter, 

 however, is cautious in his endorsement and not 

 willing to say "that all the points in this little 

 volume are well taken." 



It is from the book by Patterson that Mr- 

 Bryan gets his leg-from-wart, eye-from- 

 freckle, joke which he is so fond of retailing 

 from the Chautauqua platform. 



Within the last few days Dr. Porter has 

 issued a pamphlet of 94 pages, entitled "Evo- 

 lution a Menace," in which after giving con- 

 siderable prominence by liberal quotation from 

 standard text-books to the fact that all modern 

 authority is against him in the position he 

 takes on evolution, he then attempts to refute 

 it mainly by an appeal to authority as old, or 

 older, than that cited by Mr. Patterson. 



His citation from Whewell's "Inductive Sci- 

 ences," written about 1854, is a case in point. 

 Here he attempts to discredit all geology by a 

 quotation which refers only to a lack of 

 progress in "physical geology" comparable to 

 the progress made in "physical astronomy" up 

 to the time the work was written. 



Dr. Porter's main reliance for material from 

 more modern authority with which to over- 

 throw evolution is upon Howorth's "Mammoth 

 and the Flood," and upon the geological jug- 



glings of a certain "Professor McCready 

 Price." 



The biU placed on the calendar of the house 

 reads: 



Kentucky General Assembly 



1922 



House Bill 191 — Introduced January 23 



By Eepresentatlve George W. Ellis, Barren 



County. 

 An act to prohibit the teaching in public schools 

 and other public institutions of learning, Dar- 

 winism, atheism, agnosticism or evolution as it 

 pertains to the origin of man. 

 Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the 

 Commonwealth of Kentucky: 



Section 1. That it shall be unlawful for a 

 teacher, principal, superintendent, president or 

 anyone else who is connected in any way with 

 the public schools, high schools, training schools, 

 normal schools, colleges, universities or any other 

 institutions of learning in this commonwealth, 

 where public money of this commonwealth is used 

 in whole or in part for the purpose of maintain- 

 ing, educating or training the children or young 

 men or young women of this commonwealth; for 

 such teacher, principal, superintendent, president 

 or other person connected directly or indirectly 

 with such schools or institutions of learning to 

 teach or knowingly permit the same to be taught; 

 Darwinism, Atheism, Agnosticism, or the Theory 

 of Evolution in so far as it pertains to the origin 

 of man; and anyone so offending shall on convic- 

 tion be fined not less than fifty nor more than five 

 thousand dollars or confined in the county jail not 

 less than ten days nor more than twelve months 

 or both fined and imprisoned in the discretion of 

 a jury. 



Section 2. If any school, college, university, 

 normal school, training school or any other insti- 

 tution of learning which has been chartered by 

 the Commonwealth of Kentucky and which is 

 sustained in whole or in part by the public funds 

 of said commonwealth shall knowingly or wil- 

 fully teach or permit to be taught, Darvrinism, 

 Atheism, Agnosticism, or the Theory of Evolu- 

 tion insofar as it pertains to the origin of man, 

 shall forfeit its charter and on conviction shall 

 be fined in any sum not to exceed five thousand 

 dollars. In all proceedings of forfeiture or 

 revocation of charter, the holder thereof shall be 

 given thirty days notice in which to prepare for 

 a hearing to be attended by its representative or 

 counseL 



