The times., 1901-05-30
Mr.. Carneeie's Canadian Requests

| The offer by Andrew Carnegie of free
| libraries to Canadian towns-of course,
with the usual strings attached-has
/ not been received in the Dominion with
universal enthusiasm This, at first
/ blush, must appear strange, since moth
/ ing could be finer than the genial
/ donors general principle that wherever
I he proposes to build a monument in
! brick and stone to his genius as money
grubber, other people must contribute
an equal amount with interest, to keep
the monument going for all time to
come. Mr. Carnegie would be himself
frank enough to be first in saying that
the rejection of such conditional gifts is
base ingratitude to one who has bene-
fitted mankind by amassing a colossal
fortune for the existence OF which he is
indebted to associates and subordinates
in such degree that his personal share
in the process and its results is consid-
erabIy open to question.
Notwithstanding this, Andrew Car
negie is perhaps the greatest profess
sional philanthropist who ever owned
and occupied Skibo Castle. AS a for
mer British subject and a present
American spectacular object, he would
be justified in finding fault with his in
tended Canadian benefciaries if he had
not made the mistake of offending their
sensibilities by remarks made in book
he foolishly wrote, or had written for
him, some years ago. entitled "Trium-
phant Democrat" Perhaps if he
could recall that magnum opus. he
might begin upon another intended TO
show that democracy is not quite so tri-
umphant as it appeared a decade and a
half ago. Then the great trusts had not
captured the country and absorbed con-
troll of all branches of its Government
But the Canadians are not particular in
that line. They ara free from democra-
cy. triumphant or otherwise, and would
net thank anybody TO present them
with the article in any form whatever.
They do not object to Carnegie or his
gifts upon political. but upon personal
grounds, which are that triumphant
Democracy" contains remarks which
no loyal Briton ought to tolerate, and
which might well subject the utterer to
the cold shoulder if not to physical ex-
pulsion were he ever tc appear in
Canuckdom. One of the choicest of
these is the following:
''Of course. men can kiss the hand Of the
Queen but how will II be when the Prince of
lain and Morley, Collins and Br0adhurst Ire
Yelyan and Fowler. and others. are required TO
kiss thatI ] am not sure but that even these
Radicals may hud it stain upon their man
hood 10 incur this degradation. But the first
man who feels as he ought 10 feel viii either
smile when the hand is extended at the sugges-
ton that he could demean himself: and give
it a good hearty shake, or knock his Royal High
ness down"
We are at a loss tG know how it
would be. but the eminent librarian and
Wales hater has an eligible opportunity
to put his precepts into practice. King
Edward, in his station in life, is a good
deal more Of a triumphant democrat in
personal bearing and approachability
than his traducer. The King IS about
the streets Of his capital, and Mr. Car
negie would find little difficulty in meet
ing him. That would enable the multi
millionaire to change his mind. possibly,
and actually to kiss the royal hand Be
ing unwilling TO do that, he might re-
1
sary to pick out one more of the clever
sayings Of the Skibo apostle to show
his animus toward the country and
people Of his birth. He said in his
quaint and pointed way of Queen Vic
toria:
"Ihe royal mother OF her people cannot be in
duced TO support her own children during life
OF even bury them decently in death, as long as
the public be further bled."
We sincerely admire this aphorism. |
II comes beautifully from the pen of |
man who made his vast wealth by |
using other people, and who is try |
ing to obscure the fact at this present |
time by spreading wide his phylac-
teries. and offering stringed benefac- !
tions to people who view them with |
suspicion. II is impossible for us to
blame the Canadian sentiment which |
regards with dislike this Greek who
comes bearing gifts.