New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-11-16
ON BOOKS.
AND on TIE USE OF THEM IN ENGLAND
MR. PASSMORE EDWARDS'S GIFT
AND LORD ROSEBERY'S SPEECH.
London, October %.


thought, even by the butcher and baker, or, as
the Frenchnlan would say, the grocer, that 10
increase the facilities of the workingman for
reading is not an evil or mschievous policy.
The Free Libraries Act is no longer the object
of universal hostility on the part of the London
tradesman. Mrs Rylands, who did not require
TO shelter her muniicence 70 Manchester behind
statue is mentioned with respect even In the
ORGANS of Philistia, and now Mr.. Passlnore
Edwards, bcnefactor in 4 less degree, put a
metropolitan bcncfactor, is having his share OF
public gratitude. The provincial towns were
ever, in this matter Of libraries in advance OF
London. Liverpool and Manchester and Blrning-
ham have had no scruples about the "over-edu-
cation Of the workingman. And now Whte-
chapel is the scene of the dedication Of new
library and reading room in peculiar circum-
stances.
So long aqO as 1880 the ratepayers of this
parish resolved to tax themselves. under the
Free Libraries Act for building and for DOCKS
to fiji it, The public fund did not suffice for
both-perhaps not for either. The building was
10 cost $4,000. There was a deficit and there
were no. books The committee asked Mr..
Passmore Edwards 70 help them toward paying
of their liability for the building. His answer
was to send check for the amount, not of
and q thousand volumes OF books besides. The
library has been open since last May, or the
reading-rooms have, and the attendance averages
26OO a ,Iay And this week the library itself
with 10000 volumes for reference and clrcula-
ton. is available to the Whitcchapc public: or
perhaps only for the use Of the ratcpayers-n
is not quite clear which; or rather. on looKng
again. it is only too clear, since Mr. Catn'ir VINO
presided at the opening ceremony, limited u the
ratepavors his invitations 10 use tho library
Such. dare say, is the limitation of the law
Mr. Passnore Edwards. the benefactor of White
chapel is the benefactor Of many another com
munity. His biography is yet TO write, nut In
the reports If the Whitechapel proceedings are
some scattered biographical fragments One fact'
at any rate, we journalists all knew before; that
he is journalist. That is claim which none
Of rs will forget TO make He founded half
penny evening newspaper in London, known as
1.-THE Echo" II was one Of the seventeen which
Mr. Andrew Carnegie bought when he set out
npon his selfimposed mission OF political evan
gczation FIR England. 1t also the one
which, upon his remuneration of that mission,
recoupcd him in it's sale for the losses incurred
bv the purchase and sale of the other
sixteen Alone of the hafpenny even
inc papers In London, "The Echo Is
believed 10 have been always good property.
1t brought wealth TO It's owner, who uses his
wealth in the wise and generous way we see.
Lord Rosebery. who opened the library with
q speech had something to say of Mr.. Pass
more Edwards. II would have been odd if
he had not He has been in Bethnal Green
be has been at the Borough Road Polytechnic ana
ne is strongly under suspicion Of having been
in Battersea lately, and gone 10 see the ALBEIT
Palace" These names are many records o
.ait r. Re l.
rleted hy the announcement to-day that the dcdi-
cation of the Albert Palace TO the public, and
especially to the poor public has been completed
in part bv wise municipal liberality, mainly
bv the gift of $50, 900 by donor who preferred
TO he anonymous, but seems now to be anonS-
mons no longer3 but identical with the good
Samaritan of Whitechapel.
Journalist though he be. or probably because he
IL journalist, Mr.. Edwards has no undue love
Of publicity When he was appealed to on BE-
half of the Whtechapcl Library there We're
sail Lord Rosehery, no pompous paragraphs no
forid articles, no blowing of trumpets and beat
mo Of drums he sent note and a check A
passage from the note will perhaps interest you:
Il have long felt that the East End of Lon
don has stupendous uncanceled claims on the
wealthy and well-to-do people of the West End
of London and it affords me unalloNed granh
.ation that ! am enabled to wipe out a small
portion of our Indebtedness
There is: perhaps, in those sentences ring OF
what some NAV choose to consider Socialism, Du'
the difference between the Socialist and Mr. Pass
more Edwards is very wide. The Socialist Il
oenerops with the money of others Mr. Ed-
wards with his own. Society is in no particular
danger of being overturned on those terms.
Such an occasion as the opening OF Free
library would not be allowed TO pass without
ord q them
as a man who knows them and loves them. and
desires other people to love them. But II is
utilitarisn ace, ard il seemed 10 him that the
most argent recommendation of books he could
after TO the toilers of Whitechapel was their eX-
caedin0 cheapness lie summed it up in ms
usual picturesque way
For the price Of a hat you may TO" gu
q library that all the merchant-princes OF the MA,
die Agcs-aI the Fuggcrs and the Medicis-conId
MT have obtained had they given their hearts
blood for it," ~.
With oven more emphasis and perhaps with
TOO much. Lord Rosehery owns that 10 MN 'her'
i nothing" 30 striking as the fact that you can
Get almost all the great works OF the human MIMI
for so very small a sum. The small sum pro'e'
.. no for half the masterpieces Of literature,
three pence apiece. IL Is very uoup''"i "U'"
Tho ,yorkinoman had better 90 to his reading
room or library, and read them Ill rca"apie piii'
for nothing at all, and save his eyesight which
10 worth considerably more that six cents. Inc
attempt 10 compress a literary masterpiece into a
thrce-penny volume must result IN very small
urjnt and very poor paper and ink worse even
Than flint of the average newspaper much worse
,ban Mr. Passmore Edwards's Echo, which is al
most rs we'll printed as The Tribune, and from type
not less large 1t is time somebody should pro-
test against chcapness for which so high price
IL paid as the readers of these unreadabe cheap is
sues must pay in the long run. If things go on,
as az present the next lucrative profession Of the
future will he the oculists. Everybodys eyes in
the next generation will be in need Of constant re-
pair "The whole of Milton for nine pence" is
the dearest investment the student can make.