The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-10-14
MR.. GRIER's RESOLUTION.
Wants Certain Books Removed from
the Public Library.

Mr.. Grier, of the Third ward. intro
duced in common council last night the
following resolution:
That the joint auditing committee of
councils be directed to withhold its ap-
proval of all bills for the Scranton Pub
lie library until such time as the novels
of Augusta J. Evans, the dramas of wy
cherly and CongTcve, and all other works
tending toward religious prejudice and
immortality have been excluded from said
Scranton Public library.
The author of the resolution said he
offered it in the spirit that the library.
being supported by public funds, should
not contain books that are objection
able to any religion or belief. Mr..
Zizelman began by saying that he had
no objection to the resolutions pur-
pose, but he had an idea Mr.. Grier
did not go at it in the right way. He
thought a special committee should
be appointed to investigate and make
a report.
Mr.. Keller declared It would be a
great mistake for any community to
select a class of books for a public
library that would be an insult to any
religion. If the books of these authors
er religion they should be expunged
from the list. The speaker knows Lii
brarian Carr personally and knows him
to be "a broad-mnded man. 1t seems
that the Objectionable books could
be got out of the library without
stopping the payment of bills. There
was better way to go about it which
would cause less friction on all sides.
IA l..
mans suggestion and appoint a COM
mittee to meet the trustees Not a
man of them, he said, would allow
books that reflected on any religion.
He suggested a special committee with
Mr.. Grier as chairman. Mr. Oliver
thought it would be a better plan to
confer with the trustees first.
Mr.. Jackson deprecated the presence
| of books in the library that are objec-
| tionable to any creed. He favored a
| special committee. Mr.. Grier respond
| ed that he didn't care whether spec
ial committee took the matter in charge
or any other kind of a committee, but
| he knows that $11,400 of public money
| had been appropriated this year from
| the city tax toward the library and
| that there are several books on its
| shelves that grossly insult a large
number of the people who paid this
tax: and that Furthermore there are
| lots of books circulating among the
boys and girls of this city that are
morally bad and unfit to read.
| Mr.. Grier's resolution was unani.
| mously put aside and a motion pre-.
| vailed to refer the matter to a specia
| committee to be appointed by the
chairman. Captain Moir appointed OF
that committee Messrs. Grier, Keller
and Monaghan.
! Mr.. Monaghan introduced a resolu.
| ton directing the office of the chic
of police in the city hall 10 be KEEP
| open from a. m. to I'm, and from
| to d. m. for the accommodation
of all who have business in that de
| partment. 1t was passed.
An ordinance was introduced by Mr.
| Oliver providing for the erection of {
| fire hydrant at each of the following
| places: The intersection of Ninth anC
| West Elm streets: the intersection o
| Hyde Park avenue and Rock street
the intersection of Twelfth and Yves
Locust streets: and on Locust street
midway between South Main avenu,
| and Twelfth street.