The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-05-18


Sir,-In a survey of the history OF edu-
cation in the United States we find Vir.
gina was one Of the foremost leaders IN
the early educational movement in this
country. The college of; William and
Mary, founded in 1893, was second only
ito Harvard-founded in 16Se-and was
justly called the school of statement.
This college gave Washington his first
public commission and opened the way
to his entire career; j efferson and Chief
Justice Marshall studied there; and
among the many others it trained for-
service in State and country were Bcnja-
min Harrison, Carter BraXton, Thomas
Nelson. George Wythe-signers of the
Declaration-Peyto Randolph, first pres
ident of Continental Congress; John Iy-
Ter, first Governor of Virginia; James
Monroe. President of. the United States:
and John Blair, judge OF the United
States Supreme Court. DR.. Adams, OIL
Johns Hopkins University, In recent
Interesting monograph on the college OF
William and Mary, says: Ihe secret OF
that great family of patriot-polltlclans
who became leaders in American revciu-
ton and who afterwards gave such prac-
teal and sovereign direction to American
politics, lies in the union Of home educa-
ton with higher education, in the BLEND
ing of private with public training. In
Virginia the evolution of a\higher class
of politicians. of professional men and cul-
tivated gentleman, was first accomplished
at Williamsburg, that school of citizens,
churchmen and statesmen
The epoch-nlalling evolutionary step
made by these and their fellow founders
of our nation and it's constitution was in
deed a glorious one for own free land
and the whole world; and on the founda-
ton laid by them democratic institutions
have been slowly and naturally building
as new conditions, powers and duties
have developed new needs. Early in our
history it became evident that the funda-
mental safeguard Of our dearly-establsh-
e6 democratic principles was the educa-
ton Of the people-the masses, the voters
not merely the leaders; and the free
public school system supported by taxa
ton is the product Of the States recognl-
ton of this duty to itself, its country
and its people, The public school is now
a we'll established factor in American
progress. 1t is not perfect in it's develop
nent or in it's adaptation yet, but its bet
terment is occupying the minds and ener-
gies Of thousands of the best men and
women in the country to-day. Early in
its development it made evident the need
for a free public library, both to supple
ment the text books for teachers ana
pupils in school,, and to supply an opDor-
tllnity for higher education to the thou.
sands of graduates. The history CT the
development Of the free public libraries
in many cities in this country and Eng
land during the last twenty-five years
clearly demonstrates that they supply a
great popular educative need and that
their rapidly-increasing opportunities for
usefulness are limited only by the lack
of funds.
Education is lifetime process, only
the preparatory steps of which are
learned in the public schools and coll
leges attended in our youth. There we
learn to read and write, and to reason
a little; we become only imperfectiy ia
miliar with but a topical outline of the
worlds great storeiouse of knowledge.
The best colleges can do little more than
teach US the methods Of study and re-
search, and furnish us subject-lndex
to the accumulated learning of the past
and the thousands of subdivisions of its
classes that the problems of to-day are
developing. I All truth was not needed
by, nor revealed to, even the immortals
of the past, neither did the ability to
discover further fragments OF 1t die
with them any more than wisdom did
with Jobs friends. The history of the
human race shows wonderful evolu-
ton both in its powers and achievements,
and the revelation of truth to it is shown
to be progressive. SO if the youth of our
land are to follow up any of the many
lines of study that may have appealed to
them, especially, while In school, and II
the community is to know and profit by
the revelations to the past and at the
same time take it's place in the devel-
opment of the present, it needs the pub
lie library-''the university for the peo-
ple'-stored with the best in all lines
from the past, and a complete record of
the great thought, achievements and
movements of the present. It was the
recognition of this need developed by the
public school, and of the possibilities of
every boy and girl. man and woman in
America that gave rise to the great IL
brary movement that has accomplished
so much since its organization in 1876.
There is no better illustration than the
Carnegie libraries of the rich fruit which
may be evolved in democratic coun-
try from literary and philanthropic germs
early planted in n boys mind. Mr.. Car
negie himself said: "NIy own personal
experience may have led me to value q
free library beyond all other forms of
bcneficence When | was a boy IN Puts
burg Colonel Anderson, of Allegheny
a name I never speak without feelings
Of devotional gratitude-opened his lit
tie library of four hundred books to boys.
Every Saturday afternoon he was in at
tendance at his house to exchange books.
No one but him who has felt IL can
know the intense longing with which the
arrival of Saturday was awaited, that a
new book might be had My brother and
Mr. Phipps. who have been my principal
partners through life. shared with me
Colonel Anderson's precious generosity;
and it was when revellng in these treas
ures that I resolved if ever wealth came
to me that it should be used to establish
free libraries that poor boys might re-
ceiye opportunities similar TO those for
which we were indebted to that noble
man."
Libraries or collections of books have
existed always from the time Of Ram
eses H. of Egypt and of the royal library
Of clay tablets at Ninevah. There are
the libraries of Greece and Rome, Of
The monasteries in the middle ages, Of
kings and modern universities in Europe;
in this country there have been many
rrivate collections Of great value. parish
ana society libraries. college. subscrip-
ton. association ana school district IL
braries besides valuable historical and
State libraries. Some of these have been
rich mines to the scholarly OF the IA
vcred few, and their librarians have been
mere collectors and guardians OF books
and manuscripts. But the modern IL
1ed nv such ccO Sc