Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1884-05-10
THE spTRrr or rHE ram

hooks and Libraries.
"J'n hgte est me Ieffte oH5e,1e ad,e5Se
hoaS les amB mcoRaHS qK'0R a de Pare
he m0Hde."
Many very learned dissertations have
been written on the origin and antiquity
Of libraries, and on the use and power
of books, for advancing civilization.
In fact, all the good ideas expressed on
the subject can be condensed by saying
that the number of libraries in a coun-
ty is nowadays a sure criterion Of its
degree of civilization, and the greater
or less disposition of the people to read
books is the pierre dc t0hete of their
morality, and Of their capacity for great
Ind good things To use the words Of
fhe greatapostle and founder of libraries
Benjamin Franklin, on this subject, the
early diffusion of books and of public
Libraries in America improved the
general conversation Of the Ameri-
leans, made the common tradesmen
"and farmers as intelligent as most gen
"tlemen in other countries, and proba-
"bly contributed in large extent to
"the stand generally made throughout
"the colonies in defense of their priv
"leges." In other words, America owes
Its present greatness tothe high standard
OF instruction of its people and to their
early taste for books. This will seema
decisive argument for a country like
Hawaii, where Americans form a ma
jority of the population and yet moth
ing seems ever to have been written TO
express more wildly the nature and
power of a book, its intimate mission
and its workings on the human brain,
than the above Introductory quotation
from a well known French writer A
book is not only, as he says, a letter
written for and sent to all the unknown
friends we may have in the world, Caus-
ing friendly intercourse between all
the hearts who beat in unison with
ours, between all the minds who think
as we do, it not only teaches US the
precious things which have been in
vented, discovered, thought or pro
posed in every branch of human knowl-
edge. But even when a book does not
appear to contain any information of
immediate use, or even when the ideas
it contains are directly opposed to those
we cherish, this book may prove
a friend to us by melting our minds TO
reflection, study and discussion, there
by bringing us to correct ourselves if it
Ia. hot co,
ring up new ideas and causing us to pro-
duce work of our own for refuting the
errors we discover in our unknown
friends production. Pliny the Younger
said that there was no bad book in which
some good thing could not be found.
Consequently collection of books
even of Indifferent books, may be fruit
full of fathomless good results, and he
who gives humanity good book is
nearly as worthy as that man whom a
great king declared the wisest of his
people for having caused two blades of
grass to grow where only one was found
before. Henceforth, those who assist
in giving the public large collections of
books and creating Libraries accessible
to all classes, do more for the cause of
civilization and of education, and for
the good of future generations, than can
be expressed by words; and it is a
credit to this population to see how
unanimously this truth is endorsed, as
evidenced by the liberal and untiring
support and patronage heretofore given
to the Honolulu, Library and Reading
Room Association, and to all matters
connected with it. Afsait is not doubt
full now that ere many wears have
elapsed, the Institution for the benefit
of which this Fair has been originated,
and this paper published and bought
by the public, will be standing honor
to the country, monument of the en-
lightened viewsand liberality of this com
munity at large, and more especially of
the ladies who have SO zealously sup
ported it, and to whose exertions are
mainly due the actual prosperity of our
Library.
A. MARQUES.