While we know our northern friends may not feel it, in the South, Spring is
here. So we thought we'd share a few of our gardening sites appropriate
for this time of the year. Along with gardening, there's grilling, and getting
ready to diet so that you can fit back into that bathing suit this summer!
In this paper it is not designed to
pronounce upon theories, and certainly none will be
advocated in a spirit of dogmatism. The writer recognizes
that the subject in its novelty specially requires an
objective and not a subjective consideration. His duty is to
collect the facts as they are, and this as soon as possible,
since every year will add to the confusion and difficulty.
After the facts are established the theories will take care
of themselves, and their final enunciation will be in the
hands of men more competent than the writer will ever
pretend to be, although his knowledge, after careful study
of all data attainable, may be considerably increased. The
mere collection of facts, however, cannot be prosecuted to
advantage without predetermined rules of judgment, nor can
they be classified at all without the adoption of some
principle which involves a tentative theory. More than a
generation ago Baader noticed that scientific observers only
accumulated great masses of separate facts without
establishing more connection between them than an arbitrary
and imperfect classification; and before him Goethe
complained of the indisposition of students of nature to
look upon the universe as a whole. But since the great
theory of evolution has been brought to general notice no
one will be satisfied at knowing a fact without also trying
to establish its relation to other facts. Therefore a
working hypothesis, which shall not be held to with
tenacity, is not only allowable but necessary. It is also
important to examine with proper respect the theories
advanced by others. Some of these, suggested in the few
publications on the subject and also by correspondents, will
be mentioned.
This site includes some historical
materials that may imply negative stereotypes reflecting the culture or
language of a particular period or place. These items are presented as
part of the historical record and should not be interpreted to mean that
the WebMasters in any way endorse the stereotypes implied.
Sign Language
Among North American Indians Compared with
that Among Other Peoples and Deaf-Mutes,
1881
