The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1897-03-25
For the Reporter:
Why Is Our Free Public Library
not Free?

management of our library that should
be righted
An intelligent discussion of the ques-
ton renders it necessary to revert brief
~, to the origin of the library and its
original management. Away back in
the sixties certain individuals in Show
hogan, actuated, undoubtedly, by truly
laudable public spirit, conceived the idea
of establishing in Skowhegan public
library.
AS no one was disposed to give any
considerable sum of money to start the
enterprise, in order to raise the neces-
sary funds they were Obliged to resort to
various schemes. Numerous and vari-
Gus entertainments were held, which, on
account of the praiseworthy Object 10
view, were very largely attended and
quite an amount was raised in that way.
And then all who paid $1,000 at one
time, or So 90 year for five consecutive
years, became life members and had the
use of the library free with the right 10
lake three books at time. and by pay
ing two dollars annually, person could
take two books at a time, and all other
patrons had to pay rent by the book.
In due time a sufficient sum Of money
WAS raised from the proceeds OF all the
schemes to establish a very respectable
library, and in order that somebody
might be duly suthoriza ID TO care for,
manage and control the same, corpora
ton was organized under the name of
the "Skowhegan Library Association
and the library was opened to the
public sometime In 1867. The associa-
ton was not endowed at all, neither did
the library have any permanent abiding
place, and the annual receipts were
somewhat crippled, on account OF the
sale of some sixty or seventy life men,
berships, the holders of which, contriout
ed nothing to the annual receipts. The
life memberships were all held, of
course, by the more affuent people, and
the support of the library necessarily
fell upon the poorer classes. And with
out doubt, by far the larger portion OF
those who contributed TO the annual
receipts paid in much more money dur
ing the twenty-five years the library was
in operation than any one OF the life
members.
Gov. Coburn, in his lifetime, WAS fire.
quently and persistently importuned to
do something for this library, either by
providing rooms for its accommodation
or IN some other way, but ust as per
sistently refused, always giving as
reason, that it was not free library.
He gave them to understand that they
had a close corporation and they might
run it. But after his death, when his
will was made public, it was found that
he had made the following bequest:
Oath. give and bequeath to the
trustees of Bloomfield Academy, to be
appropriated at their discretion in found
ing Free Public Library IN the town of
Skowhegan, thirty thousand dollars
The trustees named in the bequest, &C.
cepted the trust, purchased lot and
erected thereon a substantial and com
modious library building, and on its
front they placed in uneff'aceahle letters,
the words, Free Public Library.
The Skowhegan Library Association,
after something Of struggle, to be
sure, turned its library over to the
trustees, which was the only sensible
thing that could be done and it was
placed In the new and spacious library
building, to be run as its founder had
provided. as Free Public Library,
and all life memberships and privileged
class were wiped out and forever extin-
guished, not by depriyng any one of
any rights they might have had ID the
library under former management, or in
the least degree abrdging them, but by
lifting every one In town, as regards the
library, up onto the same plane and Civ
ing them equal rights.
Such must necessarily be the case,
the trustees hold this library in trust,
and the inhabitants of Skowhegan were
the cestui que trusts, or in more simple
! English, the parties for whose use the
trustees hold the library and one person
has just the same right to take books
free as another and neither the trustees
nor any other man or woman has any
legal, equitable, moral or religious right
| to discriminate In the least, in favor of
one, or against another. And upon that
theory the library was conducted for
about year and half. Since then life
members of the old library association
get their books free, and the other
people are required to pay. This in
justice was not initiated, | am happy to
say, by the trustees. Certain women, a
few years ago, organized what they
christened, an advisory )ard", for
the purpose of suggesting, advising and
! lnSJI uCIluR lIe tTuhLets III JteH uuIyY
and this scheme OF restoring the old
privileged class, by degrading the
others, was the result of their labors and
the sin of the trustees consists in allow
ing themselves to be beguiled into the
approval OF such an unjust transaction.
These women, of course, had their ex-
cuse for the recommendation. They
stated that the invested funds from the
endowment were insufficient to run the
library. That is not true. But suppose
1t was true, Is that any reason why a
portion of the people should be taxed
thus, while Others have the use of the
library free? Why not all pay? But
they say, and these old life members
under the former management claim
the same, that on account OF the large,
very large amount Of money they paid
into the original library fund, everybody
else must suffer for their advantage. Let
us see what these old life members did
to Justify these extraordinary claims?
Those that paid $1,000 at one time paid
when the library WAS established and of
course had the use of the library about
twenty-five years at an expense of so
cents year, while others were charged
two dollars year for like number of
books. Those that paid $500 at a time
in five annual consecutive payments,
paid only a dollar a year, while all
others were required to pay two dollars
a year. The truth is, these old life
-.