DARWINISM

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 13 July 1925, Page 5

DARWINISM

THE AMERICAN CONTROVERSY

TEACHER CHARGED

OFFENCE AGAINST STATE LAW

TRIAL EXPECTED TO LAST A MONTH

MAXIMUM FINE 500 DOLLARS

(By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) (Australian A \ T .Z. Cable Association.)

NEW YORK. July 10

The trial of .John Scopes on a charge of teaching the Darwinian theory of evolution in violation of Hie State Statute is in [lie first stage to-day. with the drafting of the new .indictment, assuring strut legality of accusation satisIx'ing the defence, who expect, the. ease will go through the State Supreme Court to the. Federal Supreme Court. They maintain that, the, issue, for deleriiimatnm is whether education is to be made to conform to the tenets of any religion, contrary to the Constitution. Mr Brvaii. whose son has also joined the staff of the prosecuting attorneys' totalling nme, says the issue, is evolution versus Christianity. He declares' the trial uncovers an attack which has been made covertly against Christianity for ti generation. It will tiring out information upon which the dentli-grapplo between evolution and Christianity will be decided. If evolution wins, Christianity goes, for the two cannot stand together.

The selection of jurymen will proceed with great care, as the defence, if per milted, will present fifty scientific wit nesses and prolong' the trial nt least, a month.

If found guilty Scopes is liable to a [me ot between 100 and 500 dollars.

The trial of John Thomas Scopes will commence on Monday. The jury was chosen uii Friday. The defence was granted a delay to confer on the points it desires to stress in the contention 11 1 a: scientific testimony shows that the theory of evolution and the story ot the divine creation as told in the Bible are not in conflict. The indictment under which Scopes will be tried uharges that !je taught theories thatdeny the story of the divine creation of man as taught in the Bible, and did tonch that linen descended from the lower order of animals. NEW YORK, July 11.

R is generally conceded that insofar as this court is concerned Scopes*s evolution trial proceedings will be purely perfunctory. Scopes is expected tp bo found guilty largely owing to the prejudice locally against evolution. The real contest will then begin in the 'higher courts. Meantime the most noticeable feature is Dayton’s disappointment that the trial, which was expected to attract thousands, has drawn only about 1500. of whom many are newspaper men. photographers, and concessionaries. The latter are grumbling in the lack of business. Hotels drastically cut ’ rates. Moreover, although it was cure intimated tiliat. the most brilliant scientists in the United States would rush to aid the dolenoo counsel, the latter is now most relicient regarding the names, which seems to indicate that a considerable section of the country, including some of the'keenest minds, is determined to take only an amused interest in the proceedings at what is now jocularly called ' Aionkevville:’’