Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-06-16

1Id&luSuIaTy eUuC6IlOu OUS6luSW Wy
them in the public schools.
Let me go one step farther. In the
presence OF great social problems which
can reach their ultimate solution only
thru the ballot box,-upon the solution
Of which depends not only the WELL.
being of the community, but also the
very life of the commonwealth,-thts
travelling libaTy system Offers the
state an opportunity which 1t can not.
afford to miss. the constitutional use
OF which not even the strictest constuc-s
Zionist can gainsay,-the opportunity
to avail itself of a sure and compare
lively inexpensive means OF providing
for the protection, security and benefit
OF the people u am quoting from the
constitution Of the state OF 1owa), by
thus assisting in the founding of poor
mans university in every county with
in its borders.
THE CITY'S INTEREST IN THE.
MOVEMENT.
IT am gratified to find that most, IL
not all, librarians in our great cities
look with more or less favor upon this
travelling library movement. But find
that not few city librarians still re-
gard 1t as something remote and apart
from the larger library movement part
of which they are To such bring. in
place of the argument which might be
made. the suggestive figure used by Ar
thur Clough:
R" For while the tired waves, vainly
breaking,
Seem here no painful inch to gain.
Far back thru streams and inlets maxi.
ing,
Comes silent. flooding in. the main
And. too, that other picture from the
same artist hand:
And not by eastern windows only
When daylight comes, comes in the
light:
In front the sun climbs slow, how
slowly!
But westward, look, the land is
bright
The poets thought, so beautifully
expressed in deity mixed metaphor, we
may appropriate. in part. at least. The
light from this new movement, first
seen in the east, is projected far into
the west, and is reflected back upon the
east from every hillsand mountain. An
our streams OF thought and the inflow
Fl
dropping the metaphor, lest we
make the mistake of carrying 1T too far,
l would remind you that out of the new
conditions of our time is coming an era
of closer INTERPRETATION and interde-
pendence between city and country.
And this net in trade alone. Any pull
sation of hope or fear, of Joy or sorrow,
observable at the heart of a great city,
finds quick response in the remotest re-
sions round about. The heaving rest
'lessness of the other half in our large
cities, the murmurs not loud but deep
which come up from the slums. the fire.
quent outbreaks of organized labor
against organized capital. the fierce
|sclashinE of organized and unorganized
labor. the base trucking of authority
to mob yinlence--all this and much
more would be appalling but for that
stream of fresh. vigorous. rcassuring
life which continually surges in from
the country to the city. The thoughtful
ard the fearful in our great cities are
more than ever before looking to the
prairies ana the hills whence comes
their strength. This libarry movement
for the Improvement and ennobling of
country and small community life is
l.clearly a movement for the city's bets
terment as we'll; and. in the ratio OF
time and money spent in developing ii.
I no library in the city can show such
speedy, far-reaching and beneficial re-
suits.