John T. Scopes, the man who caused all the fuss It started out as a publicity stunt designed to bring tourists to the small town of Dayton, Tennessee. By the time it was over, it had brought together three of the most famous men in the world, killed one of them, and left ripples that we still feel today. While the event we note today is the 85th anniversary of schoolteacher John T. Scopes being arrested for teaching evolution, the events that prompted that arrest go back to 1922, when the Tennessee legislature passed the Butler Act, which prohibited any teacher in a public school from teaching "any theory that denies the Story of the Divine Creation of man as taught in the Bible, and to teach instead that man has descended from a lower order of animals." The law had been written by a Tennessee farmer, who had "read in the papers that boys and girls were coming home from school and telling their fathers and mothers that the Bible was all nonsense." The law, which had a fatal flaw (the state's required biology text had a chapter about evolution) sat unchallenged for three years, while the American Civil Liberties Union hunted for a teacher willing to challenge the law, even announcing its willingness to pay for the trial and any fines (the penalty was $100). There were no takers. Finally, in 1925, a group of Dayton businessmen were sitting around Robinson's Drugstore, trying to come up with a scheme to draw tourists to their town of 1,800. Someone mentioned the Butler Act, and before Scopes knew it, he had agreed to become the sacrificial lamb (or perhaps, "ape"). On May 5th, Scopes was "arrested" and all hell broke loose. The local fathers, hoping to secure maximum publicity for the trial, contacted such notables as novelist H.G. Wells (who declined, stating that he wasn't a lawyer). The prosecution countered with William Jennings Bryan, the three-time presidential candidate who was America's most respected public figure. Spurred by Bryan's presence, Clarence Darrow, the country's most famous defense attorney and defender of civil liberties, agreed to head Scopes' defense. Drawn by not only the spectacle of those two giants going head-to-head in the courtroom, but by the circus that developed around the trial, H.L. Mencken, the reporter who was one of the country's sharpest social commentators, came to report on the doings -- along with hundred of other reporters, an unprecedented national radio hookup, newsreel photographers, trained chimpanzees, and tens of thousands of spectators. The trial finally began on July 10 and things went badly for the defense. Witnesses were not allowed to testify and Darrow fought with the judge -- dodging more than one contempt citation. Finally, in a desperate stroke of genius, Darrow put Bryan himself on the stand -- or, rather, under the tree, since the judge moved matters outside to accommodate both the huge crowds and in an attempt to beat the stifling heat. Darrow cut him to ribbons, challenging his opponent's literal belief in the Good Book, and generally making a monkey of him. Bryan died five days after the trial, possibly the victim of his exertions. It was all for naught, though. The jury, deliberating only nine minutes, found Scopes guilty, and the judge fined him $100. That verdict was overturned on a technicality, but the law remained (unenforced) on the books until 1967. Even though no one else was every prosecuted under the Butler Act, its effects are felt today in controversies over Creationism, and the curricula proposed by the Kansas and Texas Boards of Education. And, for all the spectacle the trial provided, that kind of carnival atmosphere could never happen today... right? Suggested Sites... Tennessee vs. John Scopes - from the University of Missouri, Kansas City. Full of facts, biographies, photos, transcripts, and more. "Inherit the Wind" - examines how the play and movies based on the trial have adapted the facts. Clarence Seward Darrow - summarizes many of Darrow's famous trials. Wikipedia: William Jennings Bryan - biography of Bryan, "The Great Commoner." American Experience: Monkey Trial - PBS site with background on 1925's "Trial of the Century."

Directory categories: Scopes Monkey Trial, Clarence Darrow, William Jennings Bryan, Evolution, Creation vs. Evolution

Archived under: 1920s, American History, Anniversaries, Apes, Biology, Clarence Darrow, Creationism, Education, Evolution, Law, Legal Cases, Primates, Religion, Science, Society and Culture, William Jennings Bryan

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V.P. Dick Cheney The vice presidential candidacies of Sarah Palin and Joe Biden have turned an unusual spotlight on the potential residents of Number One Observatory Circle. We started to wonder about the veeps of campaigns past. Who were these guys? Mostly, they were chosen to deliver their home states and remain anonymous, but some stood out for their ability to attack the opposition; for their gender; their perceived lack of readiness; or for their controversial views: Curtis LeMay wanted to start World War III, and Fielding Wright was a segregationist. In spite of not being elected, some went on to distinguished careers. Frank Knox ran against Franklin Roosevelt, but was later appointed by him to be Secretary of the Navy. Earl Warren became Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. FDR had three VPs: "Cactus Jack" Garner, Henry A. Wallace, (whose crypto-Buddhist philosophy was too strange for the 1940s), and Harry Truman, who succeeded him. Some candidates had unique careers. Charles Fairbanks was elected in 1904, retired in 1909, then ran again (unsuccessfully) in 1916. Nicholas Murray Butler was originally just a delegate to the 1912 Republican Convention, but took James Sherman's place when Sherman died just days before the election. Adlai E. Stevenson I served as Grover Cleveland's number two in 1892, then lost with William Jennings Bryan in 1900. In 1896, Bryan achieved something that no other candidate has managed: running on two tickets (Democratic and Populist) with two different running mates (Arthur Sewall and Thomas Edward Watson). Of course, not every vice president is as close as Dick Cheney is to George Bush. Dwight Eisenhower didn't really get along with Richard Nixon, and Woodrow Wilson wouldn't even let Thomas Marshall relay his messages to the Senate. The last word about the office probably comes from Garner, who famously summed it up as being "not worth a bucket of warm piss." Suggested Sites... The White House: Vice President of the United States - information on the vice president's duties, speeches, and biography. Sarah Palin - official site from the McCain/Palin campaign. Joe Biden - official site from the Obama/Biden campaign. Wikipedia: Vice Presidents of the United States - overview of the office and the men who have occupied it, with lots of fun facts. Time Magazine: America's Worst Vice Presidents - sounds like a game show, but it's a roster of infamy and incompetence.

Directory categories: Vice Presidents, Joe Biden, Sarah Palin, United States Senate, United States Executive Branch

Archived under: American History, Candidates, Democratic Party, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Government, Presidential Candidates, Presidents, Republican Party, U.S. Elections, U.S. Senate, Vice Presidents, William Jennings Bryan

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