Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-12-02
Ii. A. MARSH,
A majority of the conn
WORCESTER, Oct. 20, 1872.


MINORITY REPORT
To tie Directors Of the Free Public LiI,,ny4t.
Whether there shall continue to exist as a rerop.
nized feature of our civilization a weekly dav Of
rest, fenced about with definite, well understood
fesTlcons IS question to come presently, even il
1t may not fairly be said to have already come,
before the mind of the American peope for deer.
SON. 10 its connection with this larger discussion
the matter upon which we are enGaued to.night
owes all its interest. 1t is well that this MONT
should stand ont as distinctly in the minds of those
upon whom tine responsibility of action rests ii
ls were question OF greater or less benefit to in
dlVlduals; If we were only making up our minds as
to whether gwen number of our fellow citizens
say nifty or hundred of them, would be better off
Ill the streets in the library Of q Sunday after
noon, the difference Of opinion among eplightencd
men would probably be very slight indeed But 1t
Is Impossible to settle the question by such easy
arithmetic as this. Any treatment of the subject
must OF necessity be partial and meagre that
leaves out of view the indirect consequences likely
to ensue upon the proposed change. For reasons
that viii presently be stated, the opening of the
public library Sundays establishes precedent
iraught with peril to the interests OF that very
class in the community in whose behalf
the change IS more especially urged, namely
the overworked and overburdened class. Before
taking up this point, however, 1t will be worth
while to dispose of some of the alleged reasons in
favor OF immediate action. 1t is a maxim of good
government that changes ought only to be made in
obedience to confessed necessity. To oppose
changes that are clearly changes for the better is
stupidity, but changes for which no good and suf6-
Gent cause can be assigned wise men are bound to
oppose. 1t is observable that the committee IN their
report cOntne themselves to answering sunpOsed
objections. But the advocates of any change of
policy must remember that the burden of proof
rests upon themselves The presumption is ALWAYS
IN favor of the existing status. Theirs is the ag-
gresslve side and they are bound to give positive
rather than negative, reasons for the course they
advocate. Now 1t is not even alleged that there
exists IN this case any strong popular demand This
issue has not been forced upon us by the clamorous
voices of hungry crowd besieging the closed doors
of the library On the contrary, the introduction
OF the question, both here and in another place
q o. or hNrn gf. t.1,,g
some Of us were taken very much by surprise and
wondered that so important beginning could have
come with so little observation. But if no art1cu-
late popular demand exists, Is there in our commu.
nifty an inarticulate longing for enlarged opportu.
mites OF Sunday readlng2 The committee IN their
report assume that there is, and they give express
sion TO this belief in the following paragraph:
cat present person can, during the week, select
from the Drlef printed catalogue of the circulating
department single volume which he can keep for
his Sunday use. Not only is the choice TO some ex-
tent blind one, and further hampered by the fact
that new and noted books are sought by many AT
once but the collection from which he must select
is, on the average, much less fit Tor Sunday use than
the books IN the Green library the periodical lit
erature in the reading ROOM"
Upon this passage, which, with a single exception
to be noted hereafter IS the only portion of the re.
port containing positive affirmation of reasons
two three critical observations suggest them.
selves. The library as at present administered al
lows people to take out books for Sunday use up to
late hour on Saturday Light. But 1t is alleged
that this is an insufficient privilege for the reasons
nrst tnat only one volume can De taken at time;
secondly that the catalogue is brief and inadequate
to Its purposes thirdly that the books in the crcu.
lating department are, on an average, of lower
moral tone than those in the Green library, and
therefore not so fit tor Sunday use.
These points may be met seT1dtim as follows:
First, few men read more than one book in one day.
aud no man ought to be encouraged to do so; sec.
oudy, If the catalogue Is so imperfect as to render
the Intelligent selection of book impossible, that
may be good reason for ordering new and inn
proved edition to be compiled, but can hardly be
urged as q serious argument in behalf of so impor-
amt a change as this; thirdly the books in the
Green library may or may not be of higher moral
tone than those in the circulating department That
Is question upon which those who have made
careful comparison Of the contents ofthe collections
will differ. Members Of the library committee are
aware that certain books have been placed in the
Green library for the very that their by the
Young ought to be guarded with especial care. But
me real answer to this point lies IN its irrelevancy
10 undertake to discriminate between such reading
as is ut and such unit for Sunday use, is to
sumo that very ground Of offensive dictation as TO
now private individuals may best pass their Sun.
Gays which is sometimes attributed to those who
desire 70 see the existing observance OF the day
we pass to consider the wisdom OF the proposed
sep IN IT'S character of precedent. Wil 1t or will
y nor pe likely to lead to other innovations which
the present Judgment OF this community, or of the
oest poriion OF IT, strenuouSly disapproyeY
mere may be necessary to premise that the
writer mas mo intention of importing theological
unerences INTO this discussion, any wish to en-
ist rehsious prejudices Of whatever sort upon his