The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1882-10-26
A FREE READING BOOM AND IL
BRARY


A FREE READING BOOM AND Ii
BRARY-
\ Few Reasons why ElnporIa should
Have Such Institution, Some
Suggestions, etc
/ For some weeks past we have been
considering question which is of much
Importance to the entire community,
and now we lay the matter before our
readers Emporia, as everyone knows
who is at ali conversant with her his
tory, past and present, is thrifty, enter
| prising little city, and is noted far and
| near for her culture and refinement
Yet, in looking over the field we find
that one thing she yet laeketh. She has
| no free reading room or library. In
considering half score of amusemeats
TO which the poorer classes, the work
ingmen in particular. are entitled. Hen
~ Ward Beecher says: "WorkiDgmen
are entitled TO amusements. They should
be provided with concerts and reading
rooms and amusements which would
send them back to their daily work
stronger in every respect. ANY place
with five thousand inhabitants that has
not areading room is not loyal 10 the true
interests of the working people" And
We may add that she is not loyal to her
OtoR interests as u community. a city
with population the size of Emporia,
aad reputation like hers at the pres
ant fitna hos u,,a ra.aI,a.f - To;nf vvhara
she can sit down and fold her
hands and expect her good name and
prosperity to go on uninterrupted, and
that time will never come She will
prosper just in proportion as she exerts
herself 10 behalf of such enterprises as
will tend to cultivate and elevate the
minds and hearts of that class of citi-
zens who, If they have nothing of an en-
nobliDg nature to restrain and hold
them back, are as sure as fate to rush on
from one vice 10 another, and by their
conduct eventually leave a stain
upon a once fair name that time,
nor height, nor depth, nor any
other creature can ever efface. The
Woy ~ &c 6uAC VA NJ gCEQS III q
field of corn when the time for laying it
by comes, is to begin cultiVating it be-
fore the weeds begin to grow. Every
body knows that it is u hard task to cul-
tivate field Of corn if the weeds are al
lowed to grow with the corn until it at
tains certain height. The chances,
ten to one, are that the weeds
will yield by far the biggest
crop. So il is with vices in
individuals, and what is true of indi
viduals Is pre-eminently true of CON-
munities, in this respect, at least. The
higher order of morals-the Outgrowth
of an equally high degree Of intelli-
gence-predominates here now, but how
long will it be so with no cultivation
and no material upon which to feed?
The wealthy or well TODD class of citi-
gems probably have all the literature
that they can probably digest right un-
der their own roofs, but how is it with
the boy or man who tolls from morn
ing till night, and, at most, is only able
to supply himself and those dependent
upon him with the necessaries of life
His evenings must be spent in idleness
at home or in haunts of vice and crime,
which, in the best regulated communl-
ties, are boHnd TO exist. An idle man
becomes an easy prey for the prince of
wickedness; that arch=deceiver is
never so pleased as when
he finds an individual who
has nothing to occupy his mind or
his hands. And here comes
in strong argument in favor of estab-
fishing place where people who are
unable to supply themselves with good
books, and daily, weekly and monthly
periodicals, can go and have the full
benefit of them all free of cost. If we
had free reading room many an hour
that is now spent in idleness, dreary
longing, or vice of the most palpable
sort, would be profitably and blissfully
whiled away, and instead of our stand
ard of morality and intellectually be-
ing lowered day by day, it would rise
| higher and higher, until we should
stand the peer. if not the superior, of any
city in the state.
That a fine reading room and library
can be established here without great
amount of difficulty, we have every
reason to believe. We have good be-
ginning to that end already. There are
800 or 1000 volumes of books belonging
to defunct library association that W e
understand can be turned Iinto an en-
terprise of this kind if it
is taken hold of in the right of way. We
believe that the city should take hold of
the matter, and it can be daae IN this
way. Let the books referred to be given
into the hands of officers to be chosen
by the city council, and then go to work
and raise from 81 500 to $4,000 by sub
scription for additional equipment, such
as suitable room, for secur ing all the
best periodicals of the day, the payment
of librarian, etc. When the institu.
tion is thus firmly established empower
the city authorities to levy a tax every
year for its maintenance. This tax will
be so slight as to be in no sense a bur
den, and the good results accruing there.
from will be more than commensurate
with the outlay. That $4,000 can be
raised in short time for such purpose
we are very confident. A dozen years
ago, when the population of the place
was less than half what it is to-day. two
ladies, went to work in the morn
ing of a certain day, and before
night they had $1,000 subscribed
Let us do something, in
the way of establishing a free reading
room and library. The time has come
when it is impossible for us 10 longer
get along without it if we desire to keeE
pace with our boasts and the progress
of other communities. We invite cx
preston from others ON the subject.
Normal Notes
Look out for the botany class They'll
, steal your flowers