Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-04-09
CAN'T QUITE SEE IT,
Rev. W. ]. Holland Disagrees
With Mr.. c. L. Magee
ON THE LIBRARY MATTER,
he Thinks Mr.. Carnesie's Views
Should be Respected.
THE ORDINANCE In DEEP WATER
ON THE LIBRARY MATTER.
THE ORDINANCE IN DEEP WATER

hSNs w o. OF the NdIu6Ele LII
brary Commission, was seen at his residence
yesterday evening, and in reply to the in
quirv whether he had seen the interview
with Mr.. C. L. Magee, published in yester-
days DISPATCH, replied in the affirmative.
He added: 81 am sorry to see that Mr.. Ma
gee takes the position which he does. He is
a thrifty politician, and generally takes
pretty good care of his fences but in this
case fear that his desire to keep up the
palings has led him step too far. Thereby
hangs s tale.
''On February 10 an ordinance which
had been prepared by Mr.. John Lambie was
introduced into Councils. accepting Mr..
Carnegie's magnificent offer OF the gift of
81, 600, 900 to the city OF Pittsburg for the
purpose of establishing a number of free
Libraries, and a central library building,
which should have incorporated in it an art
gallery, a museum, and accommodations
for the learned societies of the city, founded
for the purpose of promoting a knowledge
of science and art.
IN HARMONY WITH IT,
'This ordinance, which was in thorough
harmony with Mr.. Carnegie's letter, was
referred to a committee. 1t NAV be noted,
in passing, that Mr.. Carnegie's letter, by
the terms of the ordinance, was incorporated
with it and made a part thereof. In this
form the ordinance was published in most
ofthe papers of the city upon the following
morning, and venture the statement that
there was very general and widespread
feeling of satisfaction among the citizens
that affairs had so far progressed in such
manner and that the Councils had met the
large-hearted and generous philanthropy of
our foremost citizen in the cordial and
heartily appreciative manner in which so
generous an offer deserved to be met The
committee to which the ordinance had been
referred met on the Goth, and it was afirma-
lively recommended as prepared by Mr..
Lambie.
'iAt this stage Of the proceedings Mr.. W.
A. Magee appeared upon the scene of action
as a legislator bent upon amendments. Re
pairing to the Office Of the City Clerk he de-
manded the ordinance, and receiving it,
read it over, and LETT with it in his pocket,
e1claiming as he did so: This will not do;
We can't stand this.
AS IT WAS AMENDED.
"The next day the bill was returned, with
an appendage in the form of an amendment
written in the handwriting of Mr.. A. F.
Heating and Mr.. c. L. Magee, consisting of
the following words: And any vacancies
occurring in said Board of Trustees other
than those caused by changes of the public
officials, shall be filled by majority of the
remaining members of the Board
ION the 22d of February a meeting was
held, snd in five minutes the ordinance was
reconsidered, the amendment adopted, and
in the amended form the bill was afirma-
lively recommended and passed by Councils
on the oath of February.
sit will be observed that this amendment
to the ordinance is in conflict with the terms
of Mr.. Carnegie's letter, which, after desig
mating certain officials of the city govern
ment, to the number o. nine, who shall be
members of the Board of Trustees, SAYS:
To these 1 would add the names
of u well-known citizens of Allie
gheny county, who should have power,
as body, to provide for the reelection of
its members at stated times, and also to fill
vacancies in their number Mr.. Carnegie,
upon reading the ordinance in the form in
which it had finally passed, quickly detect
ed the incongruity between his original
proposition and the amendment, and called
attention to it at the first meeting Of the
Commission. He pointed out the fact that
the discord between the terms of his letter
and the final part of the ordinance might
lead to embarrassment and com plications.
INSISTED ON AMENDMENT.
'The members of the City Government
promptly arose and said that the ordinance
should be at once amended so as to conform
with Mr.. Carnegie's letter, and deprecated
the uniutentional oversight. with the un-
derstanding, then, that the ordinance shall
L. I'D T..
proceed to organize
''Tnus far the promise made to amend the
ordinance by striking out Mr.. Magee's
amendment has not been fulfilled, and we
now find Mr.. Magee taking ground against
the conditions which Nr. Carnegie has
named. Mr.. Magee saws: Il think, how
ever, that Mr.. Carnegie's proposition to
change the form of the ordinance for accept
ance is more or less a reflection, whether in
tended or not, upon the capacity or the in
tegrity of the city's representatives, 1 ven-
ture the assertion that the only reflection
which could possibly arise in the minds of
those acquainted with all the foregoing
facts is upon the wisdom of Mr.. Magee in
insisting upon the amendment of the origi-
nal ordinance in such manner as to cause
1t to become more or less incongruous in its
provisions, and pave the way for misunder-
standings and wordy conflicts.
ut is not for me to defend the author of
Triumphant Democracy from the inuendo
contained in Mr.. Magee's criticisms. He
wields the pen of a ready writer, and by his
words as well as actions, has proved himself
most heartily in accord with our American
forms of popular government, and in SYM
pathy with our free institutions.
MR.. CARNEGIE's DEMANDS.
'Mr. Carnegie has neither Intentionally
nor unintenti onally, directly or by fair i'm
plication, reflected either upon the capacity
or the integrity of the representatives of the
city government. He has simply demanded
that the ordinance shall be restored to the
shape in which it originally came from the |
hands of the representatives of the people, !
without Mr.. Magee's additions and amend |
ments added thereto.
''Mr. Magee is private citizen, he is not |
a member either of Select or Common Coun- |
ellis, and yet we find him venturing to ex-
tend the agis of his protection at this mo- |
ment over both bodies. The fair-minded |
and intelligent citizen of this community |
will ask what right, human or divine, has |
he SO to pose, and what right has he to take |
city ordinances out of theinpigeon holes and |
write in his own amendments, and then de- |
mand, when they are found to be crudely |
digested and incongruous in their provisions, |
that they shall be retained
"Mr. Magee says Mr.. Carnegie's propo- |
sition is unfair, in that it gives perma- |
nent ma aiority to Mr.. Carnegie's representa- |
tives. The unfairness exists only in Mr.. |
Magee's fancy. In creating great institu- |
tion such as this, Mr.. Carnegie has con-
suited precedents. He gives the institution |
to the people as theirs, he asks them to con-
tribute 10 its support, because thus their in |
in rril1 he rbov, h.