St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-04-20
LIKE OLD BABYLON
ST. PAUL HAS A LIBRARY ILL BE-
COMING ITS GREATNESS
OTHERWISE.
REV. Mr.. MOORE is STIRRED
TO A SERMON BY ABUSES AT THE
FOUNT OF LITERA-
TURE.
REV. MR.. MOORE is STIRRED
DRUNKEN
LOAFERS
SLEEP
With Their Heads on the Latest
Magazines, ScOrning the Inspi-
ration of POesy.

The public library project was given strong
Endorsement by Rev. Addison Moore in his
sermon at Woodland Park Baptist church last
evening. Mr.. Moore spoke from the text
'And search was made in the house of
the books. Ezra 6, 1.
He said:
Darius desired information regarding a de-
cree of Cyrus. Naturally he ordered that
search for the document be made
In the house of the books the pub
sought was not to be found there, and jour-
ney had to be made to the city of Ecbatana,
described by Herodotus as the seven walled
Today the public library of St. Paul Is
chiefly distinguished for the books it does
not possess, and If one desires information
he must journey to a neighboring city to
crafty his knowledge 1t is time that pub
lie opinion should bring it's influence to bear
upon our public library We need more
preparation sufficiently ample for its equip
ment in the most approved manner of these
modern times. Carlyle said that the soul of
the the, pas, past lives In books. Mighty fleets and
ruined fragments, dumb mournful wrecks
put all that men have taught or done or
Deen, is living today in magic preservation
in the pages of books. 'By my books" said
scholar, Il bring into vivid existence the
great and good men of antiquity and make
them act over again the most renowned of
A wise man tells us that when his leisure
hour came he removed his business dress
and clothed himself in court costume. that
htly clad he might enter his library to as
sociate with the nobility of history. But in
our public library one feels like apologizing
TO the few worthy volumes taken from the
s sII Tor the disgrace of being found at
all amid such unworthy surroundings
NE evils of the present condition are so
tnat II is unnecessary to enumerate
tne@ but certainly there is no excuse for
hot OLE
rooms to be used as loafing places for
drowsy and frowsy individuals who have i'm
Dlped SO deeply at the fount of Bacchus that
they have lost all taste for the pure waters
OF literature, or for any other sort of water.
NOT Is IT asking too much to request that
tables reserved for ladies be stocked with
as many and as recent magazines as are
used for pillows by the bibulous gentlemen
aforementioned. 1t seems strange too that
on Sunday, the day of all the week when
inc the. majority of our citizens have time to
READ, the library should be closed Saloons
and billiard halls and haunts of sin and
shame are wide open on Sundays, to the
disgrace of our city government but the
library is carefully closed. 1t ought to be
any rate, If no longer. volume might
easily be filled with a record of the present
Encouragement, leaving out of the account
all reference TO the tobaccb-stained floors
and smoke-laden atmosphere of the corri
oors, and the snail-like movement of the
antequated elevators. The worthy authors
whose works shrink away from sight behind
the dust-covered shelves would be Justified
IN suing the city for defamation of Character.
Let the long-suTering public protest and
take active measures to secure a new order
OF tnlngs The gentlemen who met recently
at the Commercial club to inaugurate sucb
movement deserve the support of all right
minded citizens. May the day soon dawn,
s wneh we e,,t shan have suitable building,
by trained attendants. Such a library will
De credit to our fair city.