The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1879-12-11
A Public Library.
Editor. Of THE JOURNAL:


l have been thinking for some
months of the necessity of 2 public IL
brary in this community. The impor-
lance OF il can hardly be estimated.
The reasons for ii need not take space
To give. they are manifold but ] trust
apparent To all. | have thought of
taking hold of this matter personally
this winter, as | hoped to have little
vacation, but see now ] snail not
have, and so takcihis course Ia biin"
before the public few suggestions in
the premises, suggestions would have
preferred To make in another Way; but
4 don't know rs opportunity will offer.
| have spoken Ia few persons on
this subject of late. all seem 20 Ice in
terested, some wide awake upon il. but
all say What can he done ~ or How
shall we do il - Salina is now a city
of the second class. As such its coun-
ell, alone if they see tit, at the public
expense, have the right 10 found and
maintain public library or reading
room. The authority for il is found in
the following language of the statute.
THE council may establish and main-
tain public libraries and reading rooms
ut the expense of the city, Sec. So of
act governing cities of the second
class. Chap. II, Page l16 of Dassler's
Statute. Now the council may not de-
sire, and il might not be advisable for
them, at once TO appropriate enough To
establish a library in size in keeping
witt. the demands of the community.
But they could do something reason
able in this direction FROM the public
purse, and then let those OF our citi-
zens who are able and those who feel
like il. work up the balance Ia re-
spectacle amount. If the council
could appropriate Sl,00 say, $3.50 could
be raised i'm town by private subscriI-
ton, and Slooo To Sl5o0ins the country
if ii shall he controlled so a. To let the
farmers and their families take home
hooks 10 read. Now this will raise
about s3s0, and he the nucleus of a
future philanthropy, Now don't say
this is too much In ask for" This
is more than We can raise" or any
thing of the sort To make public
library fully beneficial. and especially
TO the young men, and laboring classes,
and those not members. il ought 10 be
kept open especially in the long win
ter evenings with accommodations for
resort and study. The managers cam
not afford Ia 10 this, Z; might not be
advisable, and il cannot he entertain
ing and made a success, with lt,,s than
this amount of literature AZ hand. Be
sides il takes miscellaneous lot of
books To make up public library"
and 5000 is soon spent in the pur-
chase under such an aim.
Five thousand dollars, therefore, in
t,..f .ltttrhs ra and -.
raised if but proper and reasonable ef-
fort i aroused. Ny fellow citizens I
speak not often but when do / mean
if, and feel what l say. Let u all
come forward and do what we cs.i FOR
this 80 noble AN object. | will give
five hundred dollars Of the five thou
sand ii il can H. raised. This is more
than am able IL give. but somebody
mus; break the ice over these inactive
waters
Ii seems o. me THE Hons" of all
thc professions. men who are financial
~ able, women who can do so much
In cause of this kind, iho>c inter
e>te-i in the great cause of temperance;
the student, young mea and ladies
just rradlatin. from school. with
minds maturing. iSou need more of
books STILL old men and women for
your dear children and the rising gem
eraiionl, ALI all, should take hold and
lend aid IT, tsis so great benefaction.
II seems 10 me j; j. no; cre,iitabie 60
the tastes or civilization of this com
munity Ia longer let this matter rest. |
II Is not in keeping with the size Of
Sslina or with fhe enlightenment Of . |
sc entral City,, cf historic X ansss, that |
. void iike this should longer exist.
Let us In the sefdSn oS bester times |
make new moral resolutions - weiias