The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1895-12-19
VOTED NO.
THE UNITARIAN CHURCH NOT YET
GIVEN FORA LIBRARY.
WILL RECONSIDER 1T ALL.
Some Members Still Hope a Unitarian
Society Can be Organized.-Ma
jority who Don't Believe It
Failed to Vote.

The meeting OF the FIRST Unitarian
society called for the purpose of taking
some action on the matter of devOting
its property TO the uses of "a free public
library, was held in the old church
building on Chicago street Tuesday
evening. When the full meeting came
together the hour was 7:45 and there
were just twenty of the members OF tho
old society present. S. c. Newman, as
secretary of the society, called the
meeting to order and asked who was
wanted as presiding officer This
honor was bestowed upon G. A. Dewey
Mr.. Newman then read the call for
the meeting, which stated the object OF
it to be the election of six trustees and
of taking under consideration the ad
visibility of giving the church property
to the Kenosha Public Library associa-
ton. According TO the order in the
call the trustees were first to be elected.
The following names in their order
were then separately proposed, voted
upon and elected: c.. W. Allen, z. G.
Simmons, S. c. Newman, P, c. Torrey,
DR.. w. H. Saunders and G. A. Dewey.
Then came up the resolution which
was the principal object of the meeting.
1t was presented by Mr.. Newman.
Mr.. Newman followed this up with
short explanation OF the association to
which the resolution proposed the
property of the society be donated.
The chair sought more light on the
matter and invited G.. W. Johnston to
make further explanation on the aims
and objects Of the association. After
full statement Of this had been made
the announcement was made that the
secretary was in receipt of letters FROM
Rev. III. II. Secrist. of Milwaukee, and
Mrs. Mary Bradford, of Stevens Point.
Mr.. Secrist said that if q Unitarian So
ciety could not be reOrganized he
thought the establishment of a public
library in the direct line OF Unitarian
ism, and he, therefore, did not see why
the property could not be devoted to
that purpose.
The letter OF Mrs. Bradford gave I'M
qualified consent to the property's
being used that way.
Norman Baker said shat so far as he
could see there was no guaranty that
the public library association was not
a private corporation organized for it's
own profit, and by practically direct
implication charged that the assOcia-
ton would not open free library. He
declared the only legal way to insure
free library was to place the matter in
the hands of the city direct.
Miss Matte French followed She
favored the public library scheme and
said she was very anxious to see one
established, but she could not say that
she was sufficiently acquainted with the
new association to be able to vote in
telllgently on the proposition.
z. G.. Simmons stated that he was
very much in favor of turning over the
property to properly organized asso-
citation. He knew the work of estab-
fishing library would be long, hard
Job and he believed in encouraging it
all he could. He could not conceive of
any better or higher purpose to which
the property could be put. The or
ganization of an Unitarian society was
all out of the question. That being the
case, it was a condition the society was
facing, not a theory. The building is
rapidly falling to pieces and is now in
need Of extensive repairs. The income
of the society is not sufficient to war
rant the making of the needed repairs,
The library would have to be started
by a corporation, for the reason that
somebody had to be responsible for its
conduct and must have some interest
in pushing it and building it up. That
Ken0sha needs such an institution is
beyond question. Other cities of our
size maintain splendid libraries which
do credit to them. Kenosha can do
likewise. 1t ought to do it. In voting
the property to the association every
safe guard should be thrown around its
being made an open and free library
to all our citizens.
| P. c.. Torrey said he had not thought
of the matter sufficiently to be able to
vote on the matter.
W. p. Robinson said he took Mr..
Secrist's idea of the situation, and he
favored the turning of the property
over to the association.
Mrs. C. W. Allen said the same for
herself and Mr.. Allen.
George M. Melville thought there
were still hopes of another society and
he could not favor the idea in any
form.
Several others expressed the idea
that the proposition was too new and
that they desired further thought on
the matter.
By the time the matter came to a
! vote most of those who had expressed