New-York tribune., 1899-02-17
LIBRARY CLUB DINNER.
JOHN JAY CHAPMAN CRITICIsFs rn,..
AND CRITICS. AND SAYS HE
BREADS RO0Ks

The annual dinner Of the NeV-York In,.
was given last night at the Hotel 81 DENT. ~
club is composed Of librarians. library trus,s..
others Interested I'm library administrator a,
seventy-Gye members. more than hall o, w..
were women sat down 70 the dinner ,1
those present we're Arthur r Bostwck. lhr.-
OF the New York Free Circulating Idhr,,v
president Of the Library Club. ". A. Bardur.p
the Brooklyn Library; " r. Eastman of N. g..
Library. Albany. Mrs n T. Crage, Of the p,..,
lyn Public Library. Miss Helen L. Haines. 0, ~
Library Journal. Miss II " P.ummer ana w.
J. A. Rathbone. ot the Pratt Institute Llb,-
Miss Theresa Hitchler. Of the New-York Free ~
culating Library. Ernest Q. Richardson OF pr,a
ton University. and Dr. George T. Wire .
Worcester Mass.
T. was expected that the club would BE- All. :.
hear Mrs Kate Douglas Wggin Riggs speak 81
she was prevented from being presen, By mns,,
Melvi. Dewey. who always has fresh and ln,ua,,
words for Librarians was not - the dinner th.r,'
expected and announced as q speaker.
John jay Chapman made q speech IN VIII, /,
the Matter with American Literatgre2 Som. :.
the great nuggets u thoughts that he threw a,
for the consumption of the Librarians were the n
loving.
Il dread books. Most Of tae troubles we Ia,
come from hooks" Mentioning several magaz..,
he said. The American puDlc consume enorn1r,
Quantities of fourth nth and sixth rate liter.
ture" Paying his respects 70 Richard wa,,,
Cider as the type Of American magazine edl,s,
he said "Mr cider is the meeting place be,Ess,
william e. Whitney. the mcnopo.ist, and Il,
atrocities of American literature
Recountlng MS experiences IN What was a,isrEsr
referred TO by M Bosrnlck al an Autoo!ogrs;,l
i-al Account OF The strusgles o, Genius" N
Chapman s1ld. + wrote aad wrote and The NJ
itors always cut my articles 10 t8o saying. give !.
n yard cf tha, stuff 3nA Re wll print it. bs, q,
your whole artl1le They VII NOT print II e1scr
as YOU want ir--none of them wlll They study ,s
atnospksii, conditions Of literature and o.s
articles accordingly Tne result is az artificial 4:
uolicv or not a. 5ll II an comes from ser.,
6orDorat.ons-G !lder included Editors don't us|
any personal interest IN the articles they pgh.e
They have The eyes AID infell-Cta oaIy q. tie e2
p0r3tlons they serve Their souls are cesrys
bv su-h 2 system The people VINO control al
avenues TO the public have already made gp ee
minds They live In the past With them 4 4
GOOD business 10 pass fatrOn over Young genl
Mr. Chapman cOmplmented me Librarians By e,
i'm them thai they want with their souls 20 rT
cieod the hook revla wers o. newspapers. 'T,r
have no respect FOR the realities o: literature Tn
only sustain policy You VIII only have Et
criticism when the editors appreciate and va
books criticism and literature instead OF estimstg
its commercial value 10 give genius c'a,a
Set the geniuses tree Give them a hearing"
+ ! Tompkins librarian o. the New-York e,
versitv Library spoFe on How 20 Be a fn
Librarian" W r. Eastman. Of the Public LAn
rian's Department az Albany. also SPOKE. as ~
prosDects Of The new enterprises at the NsErs
DuLffc fhrar.