so simply
monstrous, that even Garner's famous book of ape-speech, cannot surpass
it. As a third illustration of Haeckel's method of argumentation, if we
are still justified in speaking of such a thing, we may mention his
assertion (p. 97) as a "certain historical fact," "That man is
descended directly from the ape, and indirectly from a long line of
lower vertebrates." If, in view of the results of research during the
last forty years any one can assert this as a "certain historical fact"
and can still wish to be credited with honest conviction and love of
truth, there remains, to adopt Haeckel's own expression, but one
explanation for this psychological enigma, namely, intellectual
_marasmus senilis_, which may very easily have set in with a man
of sixty-six, who himself complains (p. 7) of "divers warnings of
approaching age."

Thus, the anthropological part of the "Weltraetsel" contains nothing
new; always the same old story, the same threadbare assertions without
a shred of evidence to corroborate them.

The remaining parts also contain various scientific assertions, which
are proposed as facts without being such, but these parts do not
immediately pertain to our theme. Suffice it to say that, after reading
Haeckel's "Weltraetsel," one would be led to think that there is no
question of a "deathbed of Darwinism," but that on the contrary
Darwinism, as remodeled by Haeckel, is more in the ascendant to-day
than ever. Let us judge of its prestige by the reception accorded the
"Weltraetsel."

One unaltered edition after the other, thousand after thousand, the
book is given to the public. Hence it must meet with approval. It does
indeed meet with approval, but the question is, from whom? Immature
college and university students will doubtless receive it with
reverential awe, just as they received the "Natural History of
Creation" twenty-five years ago. Bebel accepts the book as an
infallible source of truth, and after him the social democrats and
free-church members will add it to the list of their "body and stomach
books," which alone will afford it a respectable clientele, at least in
number. In no one of my "deathbed articles," however, have I as yet
ever maintained that Darwinism was decadent in _these_ circles. I
know full well, that Darwinism has filtered down into that sphere and
there satisfies the anti-Christian and anti-religious demands of
thousands.

Nothing, however, really depends on these senseless