Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-08-14
The Time for Directing Is Past.

| The great mass of the community whs
have enough interest in literature, science
music or other fine arts to enable them Il
appreciate MI. Andrew Carnegie's splendid
| gift to the city need not fear that the cur
will be dashed from their lips through the
| present labor excitement. 1t is too late to
| refuse the gift, even if that were seriously
desired by any one. It is now a matter OF
contract obligation: contract wholly exc
cuted on one side and partly on the other; q
contract, moreover, upon the faith of which
various third parties, as we'll as the public,
have acquired vested rights.
Councils have no more legal power to
break this contract than to refuse payment
to street contractors, or to back out of the
Poor Farm purchase or to reconvey Schen-
ley Park and decline to pay Mrs. Schen-
ley for the extra acres bought from her
Under the law it is even more hopeless to
| petition Pittsburg Councils to take that
| partly spent million out of the hands of the
Library Commission and put an end to fur
| ther proceedings in the matter, than it
would be to ask Allegheny Councils to tear
| down the library and music hall building
over there and pay back to Mr.. Carnegie
what it cost. q
Councilmen know this we'll enough, and
it is no doubt because they do know that
their votes on the matter can have no legal
eject if ever called for, some of them have
/ been so ready with delusire promises
They ought to see, however-and so should
every one-that a vain attempt to repudi-
ate a contract obligation of the city must
not only fail to gain anything for the labor
cause. but degrade the city in the eyes of
the world as we'll
Of course, the community at large is very
far from sharing the sentiments that have
cropped out of the present labor excite
ment The people generally do want the
free libraries and their artistic adjuncts,
and do appreciate the public-spirited gener-
osity that has made them possible. At the
same time it is very doubtful if any large
number of persons-take the music-lovers
for 1nstance-have a full and clear compre-
hension of the practical benefits that they
personally will reap from this unrivaled in
stitution.
For the sake of the general public, as
well as of the adverse labor element, it
seems now to be more desirable than ever to
have appropriate ceremonies and speech
making when ground is broken for the build
ings which will probably be quite soon
now. Even for those whose present feeling
is hostile, it is wise to make the best of the
situation. since they cannot possibly gain
their point. Such a ceremony could be
how proud and glad every citizen should
feel over the establishment here of a superb
institute of literature, science and art,
which in its entire scope has no equal on
the face Of the earth.
Nv
Henors for Pittsburg Composers
Pittsburg's two best composers, Mr.. Ad
NJ Forester and Mr.. Ethelbert Nevin, are
noted at considerable length and very appre-
catively in an article in the July issue of
Werper's Voice Magazine under the initials,
"a. A. s." (-tanley?). 1t Is the second
of a series of articles on American song
writer's, limited, however, to those songs
only that have been printed in sets or
books
This limitation confines the remarks on
Mr.. Nevin wholly to the songs included in
the "Sketchbook. While many nice
things are said of those early and smaller
pieces, Mr.. Nevin's rank among song
writer's cannot fairly be fixed without refer
ence to the many later and more elaborate
works from his pen.
Besides the very complimentary and full
review in the article mentioned, Mr.. Foers-
ter was recently the subject of a portrait.
cut and notice in the Chicago Evening Post,
reading thus:
One of the ablest musical composers that
this country can boast, a man who does
honor to the tsste and culture of the nation.
is Adolph N. Forster. of Pittsburg. He is a |
native of the Smoky City, and studied his |
servatory, enjoying all the advantages that |
that famous institution could offer, After |
his return he taught voice culture and har. |
mony at Fort Wayne, and then located at |
While teaching he has given |