The Oskaloosa herald., 1903-09-10
ConqratuIatory.

The addresses of congratulatIon
came next. Mr.. Johnson Brigham
was the first speaker, as follows:
Mr. Brigham heartily congratulated
Oskaloosa on it's librarian, Miss Pick
rell graduate of the State Library
where she had made a name for IN
dustry and devotion to duty on its
library board possessed Of high ideals
and ability to work them out, and on
the beautiful and well-planned build
ing given by Mr.. Carnegie. Two or
three suggestions seemed to him fit
ting the occasion. One was, the real
greatness of the event celebrated, as
compared with the fleeting events oI
the hour-such as the recent flstic
encounter, or the recent yacht race,
one full of significance bearing up.
on the future of this city and the
state; the other, by comparison, of
no real significance whatever.
Z The opening of library building
to the public means a larger richer
social life for the community and a
broader, deeper, higher life for the
citizen. Not alone to the citizen of
today, but also to his children and
children's children. The State Ii
brarian saw an appropriateness of
holding these dedicatory exercises on
Labor day, for the Free Library
means much to the laborer and the
laboring children. The reflective
mind finds much in present condi-
ton to arouse grave fears for the fu-
ture of the individual toiler, and of
one community of life Of which he is
ever the most numerous factor. The
social interest, the clashing of gigan-
tic interests, the herculean efforts or
organized capital in resistance to the
demands of organized labor; the
equally gigantic movements of or
ganized labor in its own defense; the
general sinking Of the individual in
the corporation, the small corpora
ton in the larger AMI the merging
of the larger; the anarchistic tenden-
cies of our great cities, with their in
evitable reaction upon the country
all together-and much more-force
doubts and fears upon even the
most stubbornly optimistic mind. But
thanks to the great educational insti-
buttons actively at work in our COM
munity, life-the church, the school,
the library-we may still hold to the
optimist's noble faith in 'the up
ward tendency of the race" we may
still look forward with heart of hope
to the worlds tomorrow.
An old-time singer once sang:
"Stone walls do not prison make,
Nor iron bars a cage"
"All the wealth of Mr.. Carnegie,
said the speaker, Cannot Of itself
create library. Brick and stone,
and trusses, and book-stacks- AMI
even books themselves, cannot bring
library into being. A library is
principally housed collection of
books-real books. could fill your
beautiful building with books, so
called, that would contribute really
nothing to your community's intellect
ual or moral growth. could do
worse. I could fill it with so,called
books that, in so far as they could
influence the life and character of
your citizenship, would spread moral
death and hell throughout your COM
munity.
The chief ground of our mutua4
congratulation to-day is that yonder
library. and the people whose prayers
backed by earnest efforts brought It
into being, and the men and women
who are behind it now, all together
stand for the best things In literature
and life. In them you have your
guaranty that in the futrue develop
ment Of your library the one FREEDOM
inant purpose VIM be to supply the
public with books Astounding In relia-
bic information and, better yet,
books full. u inspiration mot alone
for LIES great crises, but also for
lifeis daily round OF toll and cares,
better fitting the citizen Tor civic du.