82 ORGANIC EVOLUTION — THE FACTORS 



arose by evolution ; that it did so is as much beyond 

 doubt as the fact (which still has doubters) that the 

 world is of spherical shape. The question of time is 

 certainly interesting, but unless it is proved, and this 

 has never been done, that life cannot have existed long 

 enough on the globe to permit of the evolution of 

 present forms, it does not touch the matter at issue. The 

 mathematicians or the geologists, or both the mathe- 

 maticians and the geologists, may be wrong, but the 

 undisputed and undisputable fact remains, that, during 

 all geological time, the types of life underwent a 

 gradual change, which, as Lord Salisbury admits, must 

 have been due to evolution, or, as the only alternative, 

 to a process of special creations that exactly mimicked 

 evolution — the last a childish theory, for which there is 

 no shred of evidence. The only point at issue is, as to 

 how the evolution proceeded, by what method. Was 

 it by the inheritance and accumulation of inborn 

 traits, or of acquired traits, or both ? Lord Salisbury 

 merely demonstrated, with the skill of the practised 

 debater, that the particular theory of evolution 

 which he was discussing, and which he imagined 

 was the only one, the theory that evolution results 

 from the accumulation of rare abnonnalities, is absurd. 

 It certainly is conspicuously absurd, but evolution is 

 not thereby disproved. As well might a man, after 

 demonstrating the absurdity of this or that theory of 

 volcanic action, imagine that he has disproved the 

 existence of volcanoes. I give his words. 



" There is the difficulty. We cannot demonstrate the 

 process qf Natural Selection in detail ; we cannot even, 

 with more or less ease, imagine it. It is purely hypo- 

 thetical No man, so far as tve know, has ever seen 

 it at work. An accidental variation may have been 

 perpetuated by inheritance, and, in the struggle for 

 existence, the bearer of it have replaced, by virtue of 



