The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-01-08
ROOSEVELT AND
 CARNEGIE SPEAK
Notable Gathering at Dedica- ton of Washington Library.
STRUCTURE IS OF MARBLE
The Donor Says It Is Not Charity or Philanthropy, But Is the People Helping Themselves By Tax
 ing Themselves.

l Washington, January IA throng of persons of note assembled this afternoon to attend the ceremonies incident to the dedication of the Washington public library. The event occurred in the au- ditorium of the new library, a handsome 1 white marble structure located on Mount l Vernon square.
 The participants in the exercises in- cluding the President of the United States. MT. Andrew Carnegie, the donor of the building, and the presidents of the building commission and the board of library trustees of the senate and of the house of representatives, and people prominent in public and civil life through out the United States. The library build ing Is a beautiful white marble structure, occupying the center of Mount Vernon square, In the very heart of Washing ton. For it's construction MT. Carnegie donated $35O,0O0 and as an architectural ornament to the national capital it is quite equal to the government buildings of the city.
 | Today's ceremonies were merely inci- dent to the transfer of the building from the building commission to the board of | library trustees, of which MT. Theodore | w. Moves, associate editor of the Star, Is president Prior to the formal exer- cises the orchestra of the Marine band rendered special musical programme. The dedication exercises lasted scarce ly an hour. After the bishop of Wash ington, the Rt. Rev. Dr. Satterlee, had pronounced prayer, President Roosevelt was introduced and spoke In part as follows:
 Roosevelt Speaks. "I count myself fortunate in being able to come here today, not only for my own private individual sake, but as in some sort representing the people of all the country, to express my profound appre- citation of what Is emphatically gift of wisdom, gift to do the utmost possible benefit to all of the people of this coun- try from you, MT. Carnegie. It seems to me that the man has right to call him. self thrice blessed who combines the power and the purpose to use his wealth for the benefit of our people at large, In a way that shall do them real benefit; and In no way can more benefit be done than through the gift of libraries such as this-a free library, where each man, each woman has chance to get for him or herself the training which he or she has the desire.
 Our combination school system lies at the foundation of our educational system, but 1t. Is the foundation only. Of those who are to stand preeminent as the rep resentatives of the culture of the com munity, the enormous majority must ed cuate themselves. The work done by this library Is helpful because 1t represents one side of the way In which all healthy work in this community must be done. MT. Carnegie, neither you or any one else can make man wise or cultivated. All you can do Is to give him a chance to add to his own wisdom, or to his own cultivation (Applause.)
 Help Man to Help Himself.
 That Is all you can do In any kind of philanthropic work. The only philan- thropic work that counts in the long run is the work that helps a man to help himself. (Applause.) The man who will submit or demand to be carried is not worth carrying Qaughter) and if you make the effort 1t helps neither him nor you.
 When the applause had subsided Pres ident Roosevelt left the auditorium.
 In a brief address MT. H. B. F. McFar- land, one of the commissioners of the Dis trict of Columbia, turned the building over to the board of library trustees.
 MT. Carnegie, when introduced, was given an ovation. He spoke in part as follows:
 Knows Neither Rank Nor Birth. 'The free library. maintained by all the people for all the people, knows neither rank nor birth within its walls Even he who honors us today by his au- gust presence, the elected of the majority of the Englsh-speaking race, a position compared with which all inherited posi- tions sink into insignifcance within these walls, has no privilege which Is not the right of his poorest and humblest fellow citizen.
 Free libraries maintained by the people are cradles of democracy, and their spread can never fail to extend and strengthen the democratic idea of equal- tty of the citizen and the loyalty of man. They are emphatically fruits of the true American ideal; but while even the Presi- dent stands on the common level as President, we cannot fail to remember in the free library the man has place, de- nied to the official as a prince in the right of letters, for in the ranks of those who constitute the chief glory of the nation, its authors, this was won long since by Theodore Roosevelt, the author"
 MT. Carnegie said that he had given, chiefly within the past two years. 730 IT, brary buildings. During the month of July last z76 applications for libraries were received by him from all parts of the Englishspeaking world. When he ar rived in New York from Europe he found awaiting him 2So applications from diff ferent parts of the world.
 Referring to the concentration of his mind upon "the library business" MT. Carnegie said he had been a concentrator all his life. 'I am in the library manu- featuring business" he continued. ''and beg to be allowed to concentrate my time upon it until it is filled.
 This Is not charity; this is not phil anthropy; it is the people helping them selves by taxing themselves"
 Upon the conclusion of the dedication ceremonies the library was thrown open to the public.