The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1894-08-13
AN EsDEsCRIBABLB REVELATION.

The Herald has been at great pains
20 show up certain abuses of our library,
about whose PROJECTIONS We have heard
so much. There is no question OF the
fact that an institution OF this kind,
properly administered, and regulated in
the interests OF morality, is most valu-
able constituent in the civilizing tenden
cies of modern cities. The HERALD
would be the last to say anything to the
contrary.
Both governments and religions have
thought proper to establish systems of
censorship and revision as to all books.
As a general thing, these regulations
have been arbitrary, and have not in
any sense been in the interest either of
morality or of mankind. In England
and France, until the advent of free
government in the United States, the
control exercised over publications of
all kinds was tyrannical and oppressive.
1t always leaned in the line of Suppress
ing books and other publications which
tended towards enlightening the human
mind. Consequently. and rightiully so,
the very idea OF censorship became Of
fensive, and fell into desuetude when
freedom became the vogue.
But, when it comes to public library,
supported by city or other municipal
body, tine idea Of censorship 10 by no
means offensive or Objectionable. Such
censorship has no reference to the aup-
preston of thought or subsection of the
mind. but has entire relation to the pro-
lection of ingenious youth. on the one
hand, and to the uneauivocal rebuke,
on the other, to salscious and corrupt
ing writers.
For some time past the HERALD has
directed a good deal of its attention to
the Los Angeles library. This journal
has held, and correctly, that that inasi-
tuition has been administered in a
shsmefully wasteful and irresponsible
way. The dissemination of knowledge
Is great thing if the knowledge
go propsgated is desirable ad-
juuct to the process of education.
II not, not. We have spread before the
community facts that show that the
library board have been remias in their
duty. We have confined our reflections
of the membership of the board hitherto
to one person, viz, its president. We
have had reason to believe that he has
been largely instrumental in controlling
its action. We might have added as to
the membership OF the board that one
of = Il Z
state bank commissioners, one w. A.
Spalding, whose duties as bank COM
missioner call him away to other por-
tions OF the state during his incum-
benoy OF this state Office. But we have
not approached the matter in a personal
spirit, although the hcsdahip OF
the library board by one G. A.
Dobinson is calculated to excite the ex-
treme caution of any person acquainted
with that PERSONS characteristics. To
have at the head of an institution, in
tended to cultivate the tastes and aspir.
ing search for knowledge OF the young,
man whose moral standing ia con-
fessedly bad, is certainly not desirable.
Mr.. Dobinson, Republican who, by the
favor of Mayor Rowan, is at the head oil
our board OF library trustees, is, as
everybody except possibly the mayor
knows, person utterly unfit to be in
trusted with such responsibility. Out
side of capricious favoritism shown to
him by the mayor. he could not get
three votes for any Office in the city OF
Los Angeles, making no selection of the
wards.
But waving the personal popularity
OF this person, we propose to confn g
ourselves to his pernicious action in
abusing the function of his high Office.
We have called attention to the fact
that the shelves OF the city library are
covered with books that are not only
not fit to be read but which are inde-
scribably filthy. We are not now talk
ing about works, such as those of Rabe-
lais, Smollett and others, some of which
have become classic in both the English
and French liter atures, but of novels
OF such Undesirable atrocity that hu.
Burke, referring to the garish and mere.
tricious surroundings of the French
court, when Marie Antoinette was at it's
head, said that it's atmosphere was &c
elegant that "vice itself lost half its evil
by losing all its grossness." No such
atmosphere pervades the Los Angeles
city library. Vice there retains ali its
grossness, az exemplfied in the Le Cadet
of Richepin. The HERALD has referred
to the presence on the library shelves oil
. work OF this wretch. This awful book
would be thrown with Indignation out
81 the house OF the most infamous mai