The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-04-08
LECTURES WANING FIELD.
Books md Modern journalism
Path of obstruction.
tFrom the Kansas Cty Star


The decline of the lecture has been the
subject of a recent discussion, and most
of he survivors Of what are called the
golden days of the lecture course have
given their opinion to the public concern
ing the causes Of the decline If not the
fall, altogether OF the lecture as means
of inspiration and entertainment, since
the days Of Emerson Curtis. Phillips. and
those who made the lecture famous and
were made famous by it.
The conclusion, il is a pleasure to state.
is not as saddening as might have been
feared. The reminiscent witnesses,
though admitting that the lecturer is not,
perhaps, as famous a parsonage, and GER
tainly does not receive the large fees of
fifty years ago do not insist that, as
consequence, there has been any falling
off in the American people. Mr.. Thomas
Wentworth Higginson says the standard
of education has rot been lowered in the
country. On the contrary, it has risen
and is rising. He attributes the decay in
the lecturing business to the development
of the daily press, which has substituted
a reading for a listening community. Mr..
Frank B. Sanborn thinks the difference is
occasioned by the increase of magazines
and the literary quality of the newspa-
pers. Mr.. Foxcroft formerly a successful
manager of lecture courses, says that the
lecture f1ourished through the lack of
other amusements, and with the increase
of something lighter in the way of di-
version, il ceased TO be regarded as an at
traction.
All of these reasons have in them some-
thing of truth. And yet the decline of
the lecture has not by any means ended
in its extinction. There are hundreds of
lecturers yet, and thousands more of lee
ceivable subject that is not lectured about,
and there is no corner of the country
where the voice of the lecturer is not
heard. The difference is that the lecture
is not as great a thing as il used to be
fifty years ago. As a means of conveying
information and special instruction, lee
turing is more effective than ever. The
lecture has displaced Or supplemented text
books to a great extent in all Institutions
OF learning-particularly the higher
grades. The Chautauquas and other sum-
mer schools and gatherings foster the lee
ture. The lecture may not be so great as
formerly, but 1t ! safe TO say that there
is infinitely more of it.
a Socialist leader was saying the other
day that the world produces too much
There is more dry goods and groceries,
more hats, caps, boots. shoes. ready made
clothing. stoves and shelf hardware paints
oils, glass. and toilet articles being manu-
featured than there are users for. and
hence. in some way. comes socialism. 1t
seems sometimes that there is a similar
surplus of knowledge or the means of dis
seminating 1t. Here is a cry about the
decline of the lecture, and yet there must
be at least one lecturer at present for ev-
cry ten adult persons in the country.
Schools multiply, all sorts sf>schools from
cooking TO Greek. Glasses TO study every
thing from tripe to trigonomefry are form
ing every day. and the publishers are pay
ing the very face of the earth with books.
Public libraries, once rare as wells in the
desert are thanks to Mr.. Carnegie and
others. are becoming the property of every
well regulated village, and may yet be es-
tablished by the roadsdes for the conven-
fence of wayfarers.
To form ali idea of how wisdom crietn
aloud, " imagine the case OF man or wom-
an in Kansas City divesting himself or
herself of the cares OF business society,
family and so on. reducing his or her daily
wants to the simplest standard in order TO
save time and money. and then going in
for the acquisition of knowledge, BY read
ing. hearing and observation. Morning
and evening such a perron could receive a
shower of useful knowledge from the local
newspapers. The public library opens its
doors early in the morning and keeps them
open till late at night. The second hand
and. for that matter. the first handbook
stores offer volumes for a pittance. Every
day and every night in the year some meet
ing. some lecture some magic lantern
some concert some exhibition. some les
son, is in progress where some variety of
information is being communicated
knowledge is more plentiful and cheaper
than beans or potatoes or any kind OF mar
keting. At the present rate OF progress
ignorance may yet be maintained as the
special badge and luxury of the rich