The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1859-04-27


and have but too sc ally related the
Bandih ana Robbers, the Pirates Oaon
Book, and other trashy and injurious
works, which could only incite in the
minds of children desire themselves to
become desperadoas.
Had we continued the District Libra
ry plan in our State, and continued to
lea9e the districts to procure Library or
not, rs they might elect, so long would
tn, Library syste n of Wisconsin, it seems
to me, have proved a signal failure; but
with the Town Library plan, as is in In
diana, Ohio and Michigan, the State pro-
viding the Libraries for each town accor-
dag to some just system of distribution,
carefully selecting books suitable to meet
the tastes and wants of all classes of com
munity, replenishing them annually so as
to keep each collection fresh and attractive,
we S. a have in each Library several
times the number and variety of bl oks
that any District plan could ever possess.
For instance, suppose each of dozen
districts in town was TO have ten new
volumes for a new Library, or for replen-
ishing an OLD one-the same ten volumes
that would be best and cheapest for one,
would be best and cheapest foi all; so
that in all the twelve districts there would
be, in truth, but ten different works while
upon the Township plan there would be
a hundred and twenty different works for
the same money. Any one can readily
see how much more attractive the larger
number would be to both youth and adj
ults; how many more tastes would be
eratified, and how much more knowledge
would necessarily be difiused among the
people. The same amount of money ex-
pended on the District plan would, by a
judicious State system, purchase fully one
third more volumes, besides securing
vastly better sele ton, and having the ad
vantage of uniform and fur more per-
rnanelit style of binding. 80 17
According to the old District plan, we
should always have had small and almost
worthless Libraries; by the Township
system, we shall soon have large, attract
i've and invaluable collections; and instead
of only about one third Of the State, as is
now the case, having few iIl-chosen vol
umes, every town in Wisconsin will by
the new system, soon have its solid Ii
brary Of the choicest works to gladden. the
young minds Of our two hundred and six
ty fonr thousand children, and furnish
mental food for our other six hundred
thousand people.
Ipresume that prov sion will be made,
that should the citizens ofany town deem
proper, they may sub divide their Town
Library into two or three sections, and
have them pla ED in as many Convenient
localities for six months or year, and
then interchange these sections with the
other localities, and so in due time, the
several sections or subdivisions of the Ii
brary would be placed within the conven-
lent reach Of every part of the town, thus
subscribing nearly every facility Of the Dis
trict Library, with the most decided SUI
peradded advantages.
AS an instance illustrative of the strong
feeling of, attachment with which the
Township Libraries are regarded where
they have been established and tested, and
how cheerfnly the expense is borne by
the people, 1 cite the following from an
excellent address by Prof. READ of our
State University: II will give the sub
stance of conversation which | bad du-
ring my recent visit to Ind ana, while in
the Auditors Cffiee. examining the most
autful series Of books-the Indiana
School Library. A farmer from the re-
hottest township of the county same in.
After little, | said to him, Gentry, you
are heavily taxed here in indiana; l have
been running away from Wisconsin where
they have no old dead horses in the form
of canals to pay for. and no interest to
pay on bonds which cur sharp sighted
Indiana Commissioners were cheated out
Of We'll, said he we are heavily tax
ell, and this year, with our short crops
aad hard prices, it is as much as we can
do in our neighborhood to pay our taxes
Bat said to him, it will be the policy
IF this Leg:slat' re to diminish taxation
He said Sin al! mercy ehop,d So They.
will begin uIon your extravagant school
system. Now look at these books-wbat
is the use cf them? Do they do particle
of good!' Let Them said he, cut off
what else they plcase-let them even cut
off the whole school tax beside, 6m the
books ,Oc must houe.' lie then told me,
that the books had done his neiohborhood !
more good, and had produced greater
change in the habits of families than any
Other means of Improvement which had |
ever been brorg5t to bear upon the peo-
pie"
And so it will be in Wise ,rsin. The
people will never grdlnble at the School |
Library tax, il the money is only wisely |
oxpende |. The tax viii be light-only |
one cent on every one hundred dollars, or
twenty-five cents on every two thousand
five hundred dollars. Of taxable property.
Such was the interest of HORACE MANN
in the subject, when requested to give an
expression as to the value of Town School
Lbrfr es for Wisconsin, that though i'll,
he sad he must write a word OF good
cheer, as he held the plan to be sgorth
maay more times than his IJe. GEORGE
B. ENIR3oS, with the zeal of true PHI
lanthiopist, urged upon the Legislature
the speed, a lopt;on of such a system. II
congratulate you ani the State" writes
HENeY BAi NARD, .'that your Legislature
has enabled you to inauguraGe q true Ii
brary policy 1t gether in advance, in
its practical bearings and completeness. in
time, of anything yet attempted" 1t is