The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-09-05
THE LIBRARIANS SALARY

Truly II is the unexpected that In al
ways happening. Messrs. Epps and Car
ter present themselves I'm the Council
as the special friends and representatives
Of the workingmen yet il is Messrs
Epps and Carter whom we find opposing
the citys making an appropriation TO pay
the salary of a librarian to keep the
State library open at night so that the
workingmen may attend IT and receive
the incalculable benefits that flow from
free access to such books as they may
like to consult. Are Messrs. Epps and
Carter enemies to workngmen having
instruction in book knowledge? DO they
really believe that as workngmcn in
crease In the knowledge that is gained
from books they become less qualified
10 perform the duties Of workingmen?
IL there is a trace of such an idea I'm
their minds we tell them that they
never In their lives suffered from
greater error. Every mans power TO
perform the part In life that falls TO his
lot is Infinitely increased i'm proport on
TO the instructions that his mind receives.
ana the workingman can do his days
labor with far greater ease and profit
10 himself IL his mind is trained by
learning what well-informed men have
ascertalned to be the economic laws of
the world than If he grows up and re-
mains In ignorance Of il.
The move to have the State Ifb.arv
kept open at night is intended TO be
especially for the benefit Of the working
men. and yet here we find their espo cidl
representatives. the persons TO oppose II.
and TO do all they can to defeat if.
MIR. Epps is reported to have based
his opposition upon the general idea that
II the Council was disposed To aid the
workingman the way to do IL was TO
pay those the city employs larger wages
than private persons pay to similar en-
ployes. We suppose Mr.. Epps' idea is
that the $500 year TO be paid the |
librarian would do working men more
good II paid 10 the few workngmen the |
city employs I'm raising their wages BE- |
yond the market value OF those WAGES |
But there are two fatal objections TO this |
idea. The first is. that 1t would make Mr. |
Epps. who, as member OF the Coun-
eli. Is a trustee OF the peoples money
wantonly squander his constituents
money by paying more for a thing than
the thing is worth. When he becomes
Councilman ne is sworn To exercise his
best judgment To promote the int erests
of all his constituents to the best of
his ability. He certainly does not pro-
mote the interests of all his constituents
10 the best of his ability when he takes
two dollars OF their money and pays il
out for a thing that he could buy Tor q
dollar and n half, or for even one dol
lar When ne does such thing he l.
guilty of a gross and indefensible breach
OF trust. He is taking the money of ALL
and appropriating IL by favorit SIN to a
few
The second objection Is. that the work
ingmen will not get the $1,000 at ALL but
a few workingmcn who happen TO control
the political pulls" necessary to set
ting city employment will get il all as a
bonus over and above what their labor is
worth. The result then would be that all
the workingmen would be denied the |
Incalculable boon of having fine library !
thrown open to all Of them at al hours
OF the day and until IL o'clock at nj sht.
In order that a hundred or two pettod
and favored workingmen might get
dollar or so piece as the special favors
that MIR. Epps would confer upon them.
This is not the way TO represent the
workingmen. All that workingmen ami
All others can ask Is that the laws shall
bear equally on all and favor none. and
the representative who bases his action
IN this idea and leaves the worklngmen 70
sell his abor. az other men sell what the
ave. for the best price he can set for
4. without any attempt to give that
abor a fictitious value by legislation will
be the best representative the working
nan can have.