Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-11-29

terness between contiguous municipalities.
6enerous emulation is always heaithful. and
communities feel the tonic such supplies.
The civic hub of this western world Is not vet
designated. 1t is most likely to be found where
nature and grace have co-worked, and rendered
man and his resources liberal and attractive.
huskln gave utterance to a weighty truth,
bearing upon this matter of civic prosperity.
when he said to British working men, You will
succeed. precisely in the degree in which you
can 90 away with falsehood and pain in Your
work and lives and bring truth into the one
ana pleasure into the other; all education be-
Ing directed to make yourselves and your chill
dren capable of honesty, and capable of de-
ssgat, ana to secure yourselves from iniauity
England. but meets there with the signs of
lofty far-seelng civic life. In its tasteful pub
lc buildings, In what is done for the better
ment of the wage class, in its institutions of
learning and charity, is seen the thrift and in
teihgence OF Its people, and the wise leader
Every investment of life, labor and capital in
these directions, augments the prosperity and
exalts the character of the citizens. The in
tense lndlvlduallsm of life in this country, and
the prevalence of materialistic creed leads
to an underestimate of the moral elements and
torces which enter into civic prosperity. We
need higher ideals amongst the people, new
interest in what contributes to refine and en-
noble life, deeper belief in the ethical forces
OF society. For even Napoleon said, that in
war, the moral was to the material as ten to one
SUGGESTED LINES OF CIVIC DEVELOPMENT.
l pass now to name some of the direc-
tons in which there is call for advance and
development here in St. Paul. AS to this mat
ter, speak rs citizen to citizens, claiming
Tor what suggest, according to the famous
dlctum OF Cotton Mather, only as much con-
sideration as there may be reason in what is
mentioned. Whoever holds dear the good
name and future progress of this city, will
assuredly not be found Indifferent to projects
which, carried out, Will add TO it's repute and
general advantages. as place of residence and
business.
HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING.
Among the things in which, as city, we are
conspicuous'y deficient, is that of high school
building. With good system of common
schools, never better taught or differed than at
present, the crown and completion of that sys-
tenn, a. G., the high school, is suffering Tor
proper accommodation. In other cities, the
building which is pointed to with the most
pride is the high school. Here, we prefer
strangers and visitors should make no enquiries
concerning ours, and it is with no little humih-
alton we make the confession, when obliged
to- that 1T is over some stores in the very centre
of the business part of the city, devoid of the
usual facilities and attraction which are ever
deemed lnseperable from a well conducted
high school. The economy or popular indif-
ference which thus far has kept this institution
thus meanly housed and meagrely equipped
l am confident every educator, The country
over, would pronounce and prove to you, is
utterly mistaken and is injurious to our civic
prosperity. The high school is the college for
the working mans sons and daughters. It is
the feeder naturally, the State university; ;
1T gives completeness and meaning to the pub
lie school system. It's the working men of
St Paul who can least afford to have this school
poorly provided for. The statistics of Chicago,
which may be taken as fair representation OF
the facts in other cities, show that the patrons
of the high school were found to be from fami-
lies in very moderate circumstances; some sup
porting themselves, while at school, by labor
Moreover, the report from that city states that
rentals on unsuitable buildings exceed the
usual rate of interest upon the cost
OF buildings adapted to school
purposes. There is doubt that we
are suffering personally and communicative
by not generously erecting an editice, which
would be an ornament to the city and adj
vertisement of our educational advantages.
Good schools help Guys growth in popula-
ton; they attract thrifty class of residents
and give the place high repute abroad. On
the contrary, deficiency in this respect loses us
every year more householders than we begin to
suspect, and makes community seem
educationally behind other cities. All the par
ish schools of St Paul would be benefited by q
well-housed and well-equipped high school.
Every church and nationality represented in
our city ought to cherish only friendly feel
lngs towards such an institution, while as an
Investment on the part of the municipal au-
thorities, urged thereto by the board of educa-
ton, nothing would inure more certainly to the
public good. plead for this narrow or sec
a, nuhiIc n
great public utility. On reflection, think all
classes of our population will see that we can
not afford to be niggardly about such grave
matter as this. We make ourselves seem pro-
vnclal and inferior to competing cities in educa-
tional advantages, because delaying to embody
our intelligence and care for youth in this
long-needed building. Public indifference and
inaction, only publishes to the world that
which is o public discredit and shame.
ENDOWMENT OF THE ST. PAUL LIBRARY.
This institution, struggling against popular
Indifference, hidden away in hired rooms, de-
serves far better of the community. We be-
tray our coarse materialism by our neglect of
the public nursery of good reading and OF
those refining influences which belong to IL
brary. Spending for horses, and for dinners,
and for self-lndulgence we have remanded to
poverty and neglect the only institution which
attests our interest in literature and our desire
to provide for the public. access to the books
which will supply both knowledge and inspira-
ton.
A public library is now conceded to be a
popular educator. and by law. in Massachu-
sets, towns and villages can by tax provide
for their organization and maintenance. Youth
feel the effects of it; men in the professions
are greatly assisted by it, while general
grounds it is a public utility ard ornament.
We have fortunately what by generous aid
orr off inf a
large and useful public library. But as get no
one, living or dead, has endowed it. Its great
possibilities are the dreams Of those who, with
an exhausted exchequer, are studying into that
old problem, how to make bricks without
straw" how buy books with neither money nor
credit. Men OF note have been honorsd by
streets and counties called after them, but no
one has aspired to a better Immortality OF
fame, by bequeathing money, and with it the
name, to the library of this pretentioUs me-
tropois. Such strong believers are we il
sewers and street Improvements that it has not
occurred to citizens or the city fathers, that q
free library is now in ell leading towns deemed
"a necessary. In the good old Bay State, every
municipality provides for public library as
readily as for gas, aud fire engines, and police.
Can we, here, with our wealth and social
refinement, with our widely-noted city attract
ing new residents, afford to live without an in
stitution which could become the friend of
every household, the sign of our taste and Gull
tnre. 1t Is not requests It needs, putting a
secret longing for funerals in those who would
have the library grow, it s rather generous gifts
from our citizens, aid from the authorities.
1t is the popularizing in every possible way of
the management OF the Institution, that it may
be brought into closer connection with the
community. That is what has constituted the
chief strength and popularity OF the Mercantile
library in New York, while the Boston Free
library is now a civic institution. With Us,
there are the beginnings of what are destined
to develop into valuable public institutions, viz
the st. Paul Library association, the Academy OF
Sciences and the Art association. We could Sc
cure for these wider usefulness and a more
general interest and support by housing them
together in some eligihle place May NOT