St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-04-21
RIVER AT 8 A. NJ.
1LL-coNs1DERED CRITICISM.

1t is unfortunate that men whose
motives are excellent should so fire.
quently let their feelings run away
with their Judgment, and permit elo-
Quent denunciation to carry them be-
yond the boundaries Of fact. Thus,
the Rev. Addison Moore on Sunday
evening, delivered a sermon whose
purpose was laudable in that it was in
tended to encourage the sentiment and
the movement In favor of the construc-
ton of a new public library building
for st. Paul, and the provision Of
more adequate financial support for
the library itself. There are reasons
enough for this, as everybody knows;
but Mr. Moore, in making the point
added certain criticisms upon its man
agement which he would probably have
avoided If he had been better informed
For instance, he says that ''the public
library Of st. Paul is chiefly distin-
guished for the books it does not pos
sess, and if one desires information he
must journey to a neighboring city to
crafty his knowledge" In the
form in which this is couched
it is not supported by facts. Many
books which ought to be in the st.
Paul public library are not there, be-
cause the whole collection is COMPARE
lively small. The revenue of the libra
ry is so insufficient that the balance Of
f1on
ing running expenses suffices for lit
tie more than the purchase of the cur
rent literature Of the day. Yet it is
true that the books upon the library's
shelves are well selected, and that out
side Of specialties there are few, If any,
subjects upon which the student or the
general reader will not find ample in
formation upon the library shelves. If
the critic were challenged to furnish
a list Of books usually to be found in
library Of 10000 volumes, and absent
from the st. Paul library, we think
it would be difficult to defend the
statement that this collection Is "chief-
1y distinguished for the books it does
not possess"
The criticisms upon the management
in other respects are still more poorly
founded. Most of them grow out Of the
present location Of the library, in the
attic Of the city hall, and could not
be avoided under the circumstances
by any regulations which the man
agement might prescribe. For instance,
there is no power with the library au-
thorities to cleanse the tobacco-stained
floors and corridors, or to accelerate
the movements Of the elevator of the
city hall. The liberation of idle
men in the city hall building has made
1t difficult for the library au-
thorities to keep them from using the
reading room as loafng place. The
services of a policeman have been
called into requisition frequently, and
it is a constant struggle to keep the
library accommodations for library
patrons. This will continue until we
have a library building Of our own
But the reverend critic does not even
seem to know that the ladies have a.
separate reading room of their own.
AS to the matter of Sunday opening
we do not know whether Mr.. Moore Is
aware Of the fact that the reading
rooms and reference rooms Of the pub
lie library are open every Sunday from
a. m. until p. m. The circulating
department is, of course, closed, be-
cause there is not patronage enough on
that day to warrant keeping it open,
or the payment Of the extra force that
would be required. Even an extension
Of the hours when the reading rooms
are open in the evening was not taken
advantage Of by the public. 1t is a
good thing to have every man put his
shoulder to the wheel in the matter of
helping the movement for a library
building. But neither that nor any
interests of the library will be adj
vaneed by criticisms that are appar-
emily ill-considered, or based upon in
sufficient information